The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has distanced itself from several false messages purportedly from the board targeting candidates who registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Tagging the messages as misleading, JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Wednesday explained that the messages are actions orchestrated by fraudulent individuals intending to defraud innocent individuals.
He mentioned that cybercrime actors had exploited the numerical variant of UTME, 8863, and merged it with the Board’s short code, ‘55019’, to create a deceptive sort code that mimics JAMB’s official messaging platform. After this, they send misleading messages to candidates, falsely claiming to detect manipulations in their JAMB details and urging them to contact certain individuals who will “assist” in resolving these fabricated issues.
“We want to emphasise that these messages are not from JAMB. Security agencies have been notified and are actively tracking the perpetrators behind this scam. Candidates are strongly advised to ignore such messages. This is a common tactic employed by fraudsters, who seek to exploit the examination period to deceive and defraud innocent candidates,” he said.
Benjamin cautioned candidates and the general public to critically assess messages they receive and noted that any direction that does not correlate with Jamb’s official channels, uses suspicious languages or instructions should be marked as a scam.
Jamb 2025
JAMB 2025 registration, which opened on February 3, 2025, and closed on March 8, 2025, saw a total of 2,030,627 candidates successfully enroll for the examination. This figure excludes candidates registered at foreign centres, indicating a robust domestic turnout for the computer-based test (CBT).
The 2 million+ candidates represent the highest in recent memory, surpassing the 1.8 million registered in 2022, as reported by historical JAMB data. The consistent rise, ranging from a 5-10 per cent annual increase since 2020, reflects Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population and heightened awareness of the value of tertiary education. On another end, it amplifies pressure on the country’s limited institutional capacity.
As part of the process, JAMB released the mock exam results last week where 126,181 candidates successfully sat for the examination. While only 115,735 results were made available with 10,446 results still being processed, the board explained that the disruptions were due to new features introduced towards improving the upcoming main UTME.
The examination board urged candidates to continue supporting its efforts, adding that the mock exam remains a key part of its strategy to enhance the UTME process and better prepare candidates. It added that the initiative has consistently helped the board to identify and address potential issues that could hinder the main examination.
“The mock examination serves as a trial version of the UTME, allowing the Board to test innovations while helping candidates familiarise themselves with the CBT environment. Over the years, this initiative has successfully achieved its objectives, addressing noted lapses and equipping candidates with valuable experience for the main examination,” the board added.
In its preparation for the annual exam, Jamb advised candidates to stay off examination malpractices noting that it has upped its game in ensuring zero-tolerance for such acts.
For instance, the board said it had deployed technological solutions which are proving effective. 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.
“Candidates are strongly advised to adhere to examination rules and refrain from dishonest practices,” JAMB warned, mentioning that its initiatives have already yielded results, with “multiple arrests” of candidates caught attempting to use forged A-level results to secure admission.
The main examination is scheduled to run from April 25 to May 5, 2025.
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