Parents of students who sat for the 2025 mock Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations in Adamawa State have expressed outrage after the exam was marred by multiple delays and mismanagement.
The anger from parents escalated after the failure of JAMB officials to conduct the examination as scheduled, leading to long delays and increased frustration.
One parent, Musa Abubakar, openly criticized the exam body, calling JAMB a “bunch of failed administrators.” His comments echoed the sentiments of many parents who witnessed the chaotic situation firsthand.
Reports indicate that the first batch of students scheduled to begin the Computer-Based Test (CBT) at 7:00 am were unable to sit the exam on time. When the Arewa PUNCH team visited several exam centers in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, at 1:00 pm, students were still waiting to take their exams.
A CBT official at one of the centers, speaking anonymously, revealed that the delays were caused by poor network connectivity from the JAMB office. “We work with the JAMB network, and when their network is bad, there is nothing you can do,” the official explained.
At the Modibbo Adama University center, the examination for the 7:00 am batch did not conclude until 4:00 pm, causing further logistical issues. As a result, many students had to be rescheduled for later sessions, leading to additional costs for parents who had already made arrangements for the scheduled exam times.
One parent, whose daughter was among those affected, expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “The implications are that most of the students had to be rescheduled, and the expenses are now shifted to the parents.”
The delays sparked a broader conversation about the relevance of JAMB as a criterion for university admissions, with some parents questioning its effectiveness and calling for a reevaluation of the exam system. Abubakar, who had driven his son from a far distance for the exam, questioned the role of JAMB when tertiary institutions do not have control over the number of students they can admit.
Several parents at the exam centers were seen expressing frustration, with some even calling for the cancellation of JAMB as a prerequisite for university admission in Nigeria.
