The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results have sparked nationwide concern, with only 21.5% of the 1,955,069 candidates scoring above 200, the typical benchmark for university admission in Nigeria. This means over 1.5 million candidates fell below the cut-off, raising questions about the state of the country’s education system.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released these figures on May 5, 2025, revealing that just 420,415 candidates met the minimum score for university consideration. The dismal performance has led to widespread criticism, with many attributing the failure to systemic issues rather than student preparedness.
Nigeria’s tertiary education capacity remains insufficient to accommodate the growing number of applicants. Despite having over 170 universities, 147 polytechnics, and 205 colleges of education, the combined annual admission capacity is estimated to be between 850,000 and 1,000,000 students.
This leaves nearly half of UTME candidates without placement opportunities.
Compounding the issue, private universities, which make up a significant portion of tertiary institutions, admit less than 10% of students due to high tuition fees.
Polytechnics and colleges of education are also underutilised, often due to societal perceptions and inadequate funding.
Beyond tertiary education, Nigeria faces a broader crisis with over 18 million out-of-school children, the highest number globally.
Despite the availability of over N135 billion in the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Fund, 34 states have failed to access these grants due to the non-payment of required counterpart funding.
Education advocates argue that these challenges reflect a systemic neglect of the education sector.
They call for increased funding, improved resource management, and a reevaluation of current education policies to ensure equitable access to and quality education for all Nigerian children.
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