In this episode of I Am Change, we discuss the chaos surrounding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Nigeria. This national crisis left nearly 380,000 students stranded due to severe technical issues. From blank screens to sudden power cuts, thousands of candidates, especially in Lagos and the South-East, were left in academic limbo, their futures hanging in uncertainty.
Joining the conversation is award-winning education journalist Deborah Tolu-Kolawole, whose investigative reporting sheds light on the systemic breakdowns behind the exam failures and the ripple effects on students and their families. Together, we explore how inadequate infrastructure, poor planning, and lack of accountability have led to widespread distrust in Nigeria’s educational systems.
We also address the heartbreaking story of a 19-year-old student who died by suicide amidst the chaos, an event that has forced the nation to confront the unbearable pressure placed on young Nigerians chasing higher education dreams.
In this episode, we ask:
What caused the mass technical failures during UTME 2025?
Is JAMB doing enough to fix the mess—and prevent it from happening again?
How are students coping mentally and emotionally in the aftermath?
What structural reforms are urgently needed in Nigeria’s exam systems?
And what hope can we offer to students who feel broken by a system meant to uplift them?
🎧 Tune in to hear a thoughtful, urgent, and necessary conversation on education, equity, and reform in Nigeria.
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