Following public outrage over technical disruptions in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the House of Representatives has urged the federal government to establish computer-based testing (CBT) centres in all 774 local government areas across Nigeria.
The call comes as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admitted that technical failures disrupted the exam process in several centres, leading to poor performance among many candidates. JAMB has since scheduled a resit for nearly 380,000 affected students.
Lawmakers say the absence of sufficient CBT centres contributed to system overload and operational setbacks, especially in rural and underserved regions. They believe a nationwide expansion of ICT infrastructure is key to preventing future disruptions.
Earlier, the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions also advocated for a similar rollout, promising budgetary backing for CBT centres in the 2026 fiscal year.
JAMB’s handling of this year’s examination has drawn intense criticism, with concerns raised over fairness, system reliability, and candidate welfare. Despite defending its computer-based system as a safeguard against malpractice, the board acknowledged that at least 157 exam centres experienced technical faults.
While JAMB has vowed to address the failures, lawmakers insist that decentralising access to reliable testing infrastructure is critical to restoring public confidence in the UTME process.
