As the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results spark widespread concern, mental health experts have called on parents and guardians to offer counselling and emotional support to affected students instead of casting blame. The recent glitches and mass failures in the UTME, which recorded a notably low pass rate, have left many candidates emotionally distressed, with some showing signs of hopelessness and mental health struggles.
Psychologists criticised the rushed timelines for resitting exams, inadequate digital infrastructure, and poor logistical planning that compounded the challenges faced by candidates during the exam period. They stressed that blaming students for the technical failures is unfair and unproductive, urging authorities to adopt a more empathetic, data-driven, and streamlined approach to exam administration, coupled with increased psychological support.
The 2025 UTME, conducted between April 24 and May 5, with results announced on May 9, saw 1.5 million candidates scoring below 200 out of 400 marks, highlighting a disturbing pass rate. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, acknowledged that technical difficulties affected some candidates’ scores, fuelling frustration among students, educators, and parents. Some have unfairly attributed the poor performance to students’ excessive social media use or dependence on artificial intelligence for learning.
Clinical Psychologist Juliet Ottoh from Lagos University Teaching Hospital emphasised that students impacted by the glitches require supportive psychotherapy to help them understand that the failure was not their fault. She warned that without timely intervention, many candidates risk suffering long-term mental health issues, including depression or suicidal thoughts—a concern underscored by a recent tragic incident involving a teenage girl who reportedly took her life after receiving disappointing UTME results.
Ottoh lamented the country’s inadequate technological capacity to handle online examinations smoothly and urged JAMB to improve system readiness to prevent future disruptions. She advised students and parents to focus on preparation and resilience, reminding them that while candidates cannot control systemic faults, they can control their efforts.
Developmental Child Psychologist Mabel Okereafor echoed these sentiments, describing the UTME as a significant life event that naturally triggers anxiety and stress. She highlighted additional factors such as poor preparation, lack of rest, insufficient support, and the strain of traveling long distances to exam centres as detrimental to students’ performance.
Okereafor called for a thorough review of the exam process, including digitalisation and logistics, stressing the need to enable students to write exams closer to home in familiar environments to reduce stress. She urged parents and educators to ease the pressure on students, reinforcing that exams are not the ultimate measure of success and that failure is not the end of the road.
Furthermore, she advocated for enhanced psychological support, especially for vulnerable children showing signs of anxiety or depression related to exam performance. Okereafor emphasised the importance of counselling and resilience-building to safeguard students’ mental wellbeing amid the stresses of high-stakes examinations.
As Nigeria continues to navigate the complexities of modernising its education system, mental health experts are calling for a more compassionate, organised, and supportive approach to ensure the welfare of its future leaders.
