The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has unveiled a comprehensive list of the best-performing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidates in Nigeria over the past 12 years, while also addressing the technical anomalies that marred the 2025 UTME results in specific regions.
The Registrar of the Board, Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, made the announcement during a press briefing held at JAMB’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
“We believe in transparency and fairness,” Oloyede said. “This list not only celebrates academic excellence but reaffirms our commitment to integrity in the UTME process.”
Top UTME Candidates (2013–2024)
The list includes three candidates who scored the highest mark in 2024, all tied at 367:
1. Joseph Oluwasijibomi Olowu (Reg No: 202440343695GA)
2. David Alayande (Reg No: 202440097040EF)
3. Joel Ehijele Orukpe (Reg No: 202440089418GA)
Notable mentions from previous years include:
Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere Umeh (2023) – 360
Eyimofe Oluwatofunmi Adebayo (2022) – 362
Egoagwuagwu Agnes Maduafokwa (2020) – 365
Ekene Franklin Ezeunala (2019) – 347
Geraldine Lottachukwu Ilukwe (2015) – 332
Princewill Onomejoh and Israel Chukwunalu Olise (2014 and 2013 respectively) – 299 each
JAMB Reveals Operational Framework and 2025 Technical Glitches
For the first time, JAMB gave insight into the internal operational coding system it employs to navigate Nigeria’s regional complexities.
“We operate with two virtual vehicles – KAD and LAG,” Prof. Oloyede revealed. “KAD serves the North and includes all South-South states, while LAG covers the South but unusually includes Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Niger, Kogi, and the FCT. This arrangement is deliberate to blur the rigid North-South divide and ensure uniformity in our processes.”
Despite this system, JAMB admitted to a technical flaw during the 2025 UTME in what it classifies as the LAG zone, which includes the South-West and South-East.
Following a review after the mock UTME, JAMB mandated the shuffling of answer options for fairness.
This update was tested and approved. However, on Friday, April 25, 2025, errors emerged in the LAG delivery servers, particularly in Lagos and the South-East.
“The problem was not with the candidates or their performances. It was a patching error during a server update,” Oloyede explained.
The glitch affected:
65 centers in Lagos (206,610 candidates)
92 centers in the Owerri zone (173,387 candidates)
“While we applied an update after midnight on Tuesday, April 29, and ensured smooth conduct afterward, earlier affected sessions had to be re-evaluated,” the Registrar stated. “Unfortunately, the oversight by the technical service providers went undetected until after the results were released.”
Way Forward
JAMB assured that affected results are undergoing a thorough review and promised that all genuine performances would be rightfully restored and validated.
“Our goal remains to give every Nigerian child a fair chance,” Prof. Oloyede emphasized. “This experience strengthens our resolve to tighten our technical protocols and uphold trust in the examination system.”