Peter Obi Slams JAMB Over Risky UTME Early Morning Scheduling For Teenagers

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has raised serious concerns regarding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) schedule, accusing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) of endangering young candidates with their early start times.

LMSINT MEDIA confirms that the 2025 UTME officially began on Thursday, April 24, 2025, and will run until Monday, May 5, 2025.

In a heartfelt statement released on Sunday, Obi criticized the requirement for teenagers, mostly between the ages of 15 and 17, to be present at exam centers as early as 6:30 am. He described the policy as irresponsible and risky.

“Teenagers are being compelled to travel through unsafe and unfamiliar territories during dangerous early morning hours just to attend an exam that determines their future,” Obi lamented.

The former governor of Anambra State emphasized the dangers involved, citing cases of students encountering road accidents, going missing, and facing severe psychological stress during the examination period.

He questioned,

“Who will be held accountable when a 15 or 16-year-old child is harmed or vanishes while attempting to access basic educational rights?”

Obi linked the troubling situation to the broader challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector, especially the inadequate number of institutions relative to the nation’s massive population.

He pointed out:

“Nigeria has around 200 universities for over 200 million citizens — roughly one university per million people — a statistic that is deeply concerning.”

Comparing Nigeria’s gross enrollment rate of about 12% to Indonesia’s 45%, Obi highlighted that Indonesia, with a population of 280 million, boasts over 4,000 tertiary institutions (World Bank Data).

He urged the Nigerian government to substantially invest in expanding educational infrastructure. Obi proposed that achieving at least half of Indonesia’s number — approximately 2,000 universities — would greatly enhance accessibility and safety for students.

In light of a teenage girl reportedly going missing en route to a UTME center in Ajah, Lagos, the urgency of Obi’s concerns is undeniable. Meanwhile, JAMB responded by clarifying that there is a difference between pre-test verification processes and the actual start time for the UTME exams.

Obi concluded by stressing the need for a deliberate overhaul of Nigeria’s education system to safeguard the youth and foster national development.