The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed plans to conduct a fresh mop-up examination for candidates who missed the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made the announcement on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja.

He explained that the move is aimed at accommodating more than 5.6 percent of registered candidates who were unable to sit for the exam, regardless of the reasons for their absence.

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“This time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will get another opportunity,” Oloyede said, adding that the decision reflects practices in standard academic systems, where students who miss exams are typically given a chance to make up, as long as the system is not abused.

Clarifying the purpose of the UTME, he emphasized that it is not a test of intelligence, but a tool to rank candidates for admission into tertiary institutions. “The UTME is simply a placement examination to manage limited admission slots—it is not designed to measure how smart someone is,” he noted.

Oloyede also addressed growing public concerns and accusations of bias or mismanagement, firmly denying any form of ethnic favoritism or administrative failure. “I take responsibility—not because I failed, but because that’s what leadership demands,” he stated. “I wasn’t even aware that some people viewed issues through an ethnic lens. We need to move past such divisions.”

He commended both JAMB staff and candidates for their patience and commitment during the exam period, despite several logistical hurdles. “We had limited space and time. Dwelling too long on challenges would have cost students their chance,” he said.

The date for the mop-up exam will be announced soon. JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to fairness, transparency, and ensuring that every qualified candidate has a chance to compete for admission.

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Renowned Nigerian rapper and YBNL Nation founder, Olamide Gbenga Adedeji, widely known as Olamide, has been honored by Billboard as one of its Global Power Players for 2025.

The recognition highlights Olamide’s influential leadership at YBNL Nation, the record label behind breakout stars Asake and Fireboy DML, both of whom delivered critically acclaimed albums in 2024.