Over 75% of candidates scored below 200 in the 2025 UTME – JAMB
written by Oloruntobi Adejare.
That’s not just a headline, it’s a red flag.
This year, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released a startling statistic: over 75% of candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored below 200. It’s more than just a performance issue. It’s a symptom of something deeper, a system struggling to stay relevant to today’s Nigerian youth. When the numbers dropped, the national reaction was swift: outrage, confusion, and blame. But beneath the statistics lie some hard questions:
- Why are fewer students meeting expectations?
- Why are so many young Nigerians disengaged from formal education?
- And perhaps most urgently, what are we doing about it?
The UTME has long been viewed as the golden ticket to university. But today, more young people are questioning its value. And honestly? They are asking the right questions:
- What’s the point of scoring 300 if I still won’t get admitted?
- Why study theory when I can learn tech skills online and start earning?
- Why cram formulas I’ll never use?
These aren’t lazy thoughts, they’re survival instincts. They reflect a generation navigating rising school fees, limited university slots, and outdated curricula. And they point to a trust gap: young people no longer believe that formal education is the only route to success.
Today, some of the most skilled young Nigerians in tech, design, content creation, or entrepreneurship didn’t learn those skills in a classroom. They learned them on YouTube, online courses, Telegram, WhatsApp groups, Real-world trial, error, and hustle. This isn’t accidental. It’s adaptive learning when young people take education into their own hands. But there’s still a gap: while informal education offers skills, it often lacks structure, mentorship, and mainstream recognition. That creates a dangerous gap between knowledge and opportunity.
How Do We Bridge the Gap in Nigeria?
To align with SDG 4 – Quality Education, we must build a system that respects all forms of learning, not just what happens in school. Here’s how:
1. Update the Curriculum
Digital literacy, problem-solving, financial intelligence, and climate education. These aren’t extra subjects but life skills that must become core to Nigeria’s education model.
2. Make Learning Practical
If students can’t connect their classroom knowledge to real-world goals, they will disengage. We need more project-based learning, career exposure, and internship opportunities.
3. Support Alternative Learning Pathways
Bootcamps, youth-led innovation labs, mentorship networks, and Massive Open Online Courses must be scaled. Not sidelined.
4. Champion Inclusive and Flexible Education Policies
Recognise different learning styles. Remove barriers to access. Reform admission processes. Education must adapt to 21st-century learners.
At NGYouthSDGs, we believe that education is not one-size-fits-all. That’s why we’re committed to:
✅ Equipping young people with future-ready skills
✅ Amplifying youth voices in education reform
✅ Bridging the gap between learning and livelihood
Through our Youth Activators Lab, CLIP, and advocacy platforms, we are creating spaces for innovation, inclusive education, and practical learning.
Conclusion
The 2025 UTME results sparked public outcry. In response, JAMB is reviewing the outcome and investigating technical glitches. But we shouldn’t wait for policy bodies to fix the system. Let’s use this moment as a wake-up call to build an education ecosystem where every young Nigerian can thrive, whether in a traditional classroom, on a farm, in a bootcamp, or learning through a smartphone screen.
If you’re a student who scored below 200, remember: You are not your UTME score.
If you’re a teacher, policymaker, or development partner: Ask yourself, how are we making learning relevant again?
In a world where education equals power, it’s on all of us to make sure no young person is left behind.
