The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially concluded online registration for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The registration window, which opened on February 3, 2025, and closed on March 8, 2025, saw a total of 2,030,627 candidates successfully enrol for the examination.
This figure, announced in JAMB’s weekly bulletin on Monday, excludes candidates registered at foreign centres, indicating a robust domestic turnout for the computer-based test (CBT). The examinations are scheduled to commence on April 25, 2025.
The 2025 registration numbers reflect a steady upward trend in candidate participation over recent years. This underscores the growing demand for higher education in Nigeria. For comparison, the 2024 UTME recorded 1,985,642 registrations, a slight increase from 1,595,779 in 2023. The 2022 examination saw 1,867,743 candidates, while 2018 had 1,653,127, an era when admission slots were significantly fewer.
This year’s figure of over 2 million candidates is the highest in recent memory, surpassing the 1.8 million registered in 2022, as reported by historical JAMB data. The consistent rise, averaging a 5-10% annual increase since 2020, mirrors Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population and heightened awareness of tertiary education’s value, though it also amplifies pressure on the country’s limited institutional capacity.
In addition to the main UTME, JAMB reported that 200,115 candidates have opted for the optional mock examination slated for April 5, 2025, with 630 of them also registering for a trial mock on the same date. The mock, designed to familiarize candidates with the CBT format, has seen growing interest since its introduction, reflecting JAMB’s efforts to enhance preparation and reduce exam-day glitches.
“Preparations for the annual examination are now in full swing,” the board stated, signalling a shift from registration to logistical and security arrangements.
JAMB goes hard on exam malpractice
A standout feature of the 2025 UTME is JAMB’s intensified focus on examination integrity. The board has rolled out “several innovative measures” to curb cheating, a persistent challenge in past years.
According to the bulletin, these initiatives have already yielded results, with “multiple arrests” of candidates caught attempting to use forged A-level results to secure admission. While specific details of the measures remain undisclosed, experts speculate they include enhanced biometric verification, real-time surveillance at CBT centres, and stricter vetting of O-level credentials linked to the mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) requirement.
JAMB’s registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has long championed technological solutions to malpractice, and this year’s crackdown suggests a zero-tolerance stance.
“Candidates are strongly advised to adhere to examination rules and refrain from dishonest practices,” JAMB warned, emphasizing that the new detection systems are proving effective.
The arrests for forged A-level results highlight a broader issue: the desperation among candidates to bypass Nigeria’s fiercely competitive admission process.
With only about 700,000 admission slots available annually across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, against over 2 million applicants in 2025, the success rate hovers around 35%, a figure consistent with data from 2015-2019 analyzed by education watchdog Stear. This gap fuels malpractice, as candidates seek shortcuts to secure spots.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman shared this sentiment sometime last year when he said, “It is not a question of being employed but how many will be admitted from this set. I think the figure overall on average is about 20%…”
Analysts see the rising registration numbers as a double-edged sword. “It is a testament to Nigeria’s educational ambition, but it exposes systemic bottlenecks,” said Dr Amina Bello, a tertiary education consultant in Abuja. “The infrastructure, both physical CBT centres and institutional capacity, struggles to keep pace.”
JAMB has expanded its network to 870 accredited CBT centres for 2025, up from 747 in 2024, yet technical issues like network disruptions and power outages remain concerns, especially in rural areas. The board’s shift to a Local Area Network (LAN)-based system, clarified by Prof. Oloyede as not internet-dependent, aims to mitigate such risks, but its efficacy will be tested come April.
The gender breakdown of registrants was not detailed for 2025, but historical trends suggest a persistent male dominance, around 60-65% in recent years, though female participation is growing, particularly in urban centres.
Economically, the ₦3,500 registration fee, plus additional costs like the ₦1,500 CBT service charge, poses a barrier for some, potentially skewing participation toward wealthier families. Bello notes, “The numbers reflect opportunity, but also inequality, rural and low-income candidates are still under-represented.”
As JAMB gears up for April, the 2025 UTME promises to be a litmus test for its anti-cheating innovations and capacity to manage record turnout. For the over 2 million hopefuls, the stakes are high: a shot at tertiary education in a nation where it remains a golden ticket to economic mobility, yet one that only a fraction will claim.
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