ABUJA, Nigeria — The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) don begin across di country as candidates report smooth experiences at various Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres. Di examination, wey dey administered by di Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), started on Thursday, April 24, and go run till May 5. Dis year, over two million candidates don register to take di exam, up from 1.9 million wey sign up last year.
For Government Secondary School (GSS) for Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, candidates wey suppose start their session at 6:30 a.m. still dey inside di hall as at 8:15 a.m. One JAMB official, wey no wan show her name, talk say di delay na due to routine biometric checks, but candidates finally start their exams shortly after 8 a.m. and dey expect finish by 10 a.m. “So far, everything don dey smooth. No glitches,” she say.
Two candidates, Zahra Mahmud and Musa Ismail, confirm say dem no experience any wahala during their session. As dem dey outside di centre, parents dey wait patiently for their children. Pauline Aziyike, wey come from City Gate, talk say she arrive with her pikin by 6:30 a.m.
Another parent express satisfaction with di way di centre dey manage di process. At Sascon International School in Maitama, di first session don finish by 11:15 a.m., and di exam hall empty when dis reporter arrive. Candidates wey prepare for di afternoon session as 2 p.m. don dey arrive. Rachel Sebastian, one candidate from Life Camp, talk say she experience small technical issue shortly after her exam start. “All di systems go off at once, but dem come back on shortly after, and we continue from where we stop,” she explain, adding say she arrive di centre around 6:30 a.m.
At Rosa Mystica Academy for Kubwa, dey record small interruption. Salihu Mustapha, one JAMB supervisor for di Kubwa centre, talk say candidates wey supposed begin di second session at 2 p.m. get their CBT tests pushed to 3 p.m. based on directive from JAMB headquarters. He mention say di centre get only two sessions for di day as first day of di exercise. “For every session, accreditation dey take place before candidates fit enter di hall to settle down and begin their exams, wey dey last for two hours,” he talk.
In Lagos, candidates wey talk to our reporters say di process dey smooth and seamless. For di CBT centre inside Lagos State University (LASU), candidates dey arrive since 7 a.m. Some wey get their exams as 8 a.m. don check in by one officer from di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). PREMIUM TIMES observe say aside from parents and candidates, no JAMB officials dey outside di centre. “I no get any issue with di biometric verification,” one candidate tell PREMIUM TIMES.
A small crowd of parents and vendors dey gather outside di WAEC Testing and Training Centre (WTTC) for Ijaiye Road, Ogba, wey house two approved JAMB centres. Plenty parents dey wait for di sun despite di exam board’s usual directive wey no want dem to come. “Dem fit tell us say we no suppose come, but I no fit allow am enter di exam alone from Badagry to Ogba,” na wetin Rebecca Akindele, one mother wey accompany her 16-year-old daughter, talk.
Candidates dey queue about one hour before di scheduled sessions for biometric verification. Security dey tight, and order dey maintained. Students no allow enter di exam hall with earrings or other prohibited items. One parent talk say her daughter remove her wig and braid her natural hair to avoid suspicion of hiding exam materials.
Sofiyat Bello, one first-time UTME candidate, talk say she come alone and dey well-prepared, hoping to score above 200. Near di centre, vendors dey try to make money as Victoria Samuel, wey don dey sell drinks outside di WTTC for four years, say business dey slow. “Since I arrive 8 a.m., I don only sell two bottles. I dey hope say things go pick up before di end of today’s session,” she discuss.
Meanwhile, for Oak Business School of Management and Technology also for Ogba, Lagos, one official wey no show name talk say di process dey go smoothly. Di centre wey get capacity for 250 candidates schedule three sessions for di day with no major wahala reported.
Across di states, di UTME commence smoothly for Enugu State. PREMIUM TIMES observe say di exercise run without hitches for two centres of IMT Digital Learning Management Centre. Tobi Lamidi, manager of di centres, confirm say all sessions dey run without network or technical issues. “We no get any wahala here. No network problem. Everything dey fine,” Mr. Lamidi say. He also mention say 250 candidates dey expected for each session. “No wahala. Everything dey well coordinated,” one UTME candidate, Daniel Ezenwali, add.
However, Evidence Ifeanyichukwu note say her session delay for almost two hours, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. She urge JAMB make dem start exams as dem plan in future. One JAMB official explain say di delay na to accommodate candidates wey dey come from far areas. Some wey arrive late miss di session.
For Centre for Advance Library and Information Management, also for Enugu, di exam also run smoothly. Supervisor Queen Ameh talk say logistics like generators and CCTV cameras dey adequately provided. She note one case of candidate wey mistakenly show up for di wrong session but dem eventually guide am correctly. Out of di 250 candidates scheduled for di morning session, only 239 show up. Godswill Onah, one law aspirant, praise di conduct of di test and express hope for excellent performance.
