UTME failure: Phones, TikTok, parties, Nigerians search for what to blame 

Less than 24 hours after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board released the 2024 UTME results which recorded a a 77% failure rate, Nigerians have started identifying factors responsible for the poor performance.

PUNCH Online reported that JAMB released the 2024 UTME results on Monday.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, announced the release of the UTME results at a press conference held at the board’s headquarters, Bwari, in Abuja.

According to the examination body, over 1.94 million candidates registered and sat the examination in 118 towns and over 700 centres across the country.

The board noted that 77 per cent of the 1,842,464 candidates whose results were released on Monday, scored less than 200.

Giving a breakdown of the results of the 1,842,464 candidates released, Oloyede noted that, “8,401 candidates scored 300 and above; 77,070 scored 250 and above; 439,974 scored 200 and above while 1,402,490 scored below 200.”

A lawyer identified as Foundational Nupe Lawyer1 on X.com lamented the deplorable 77% failure recorded in the UTME results.

Foundational Nupe Lawyer1, who tweeted as @egi_nupe___, on Tuesday, attributed the mass failure to social media influence.

Sharing his thoughts on the high failure rate, the legal practitioner expressed disappointment while blaming social media.

He wrote “There are so many things to blame for this JAMB mass failure, but what tops the list for me is social media. Children who should be busy with studying are always on social media as content creators on different platforms, while neglecting their education or giving little time for it.

I had to make conscious decisions to ban our last born, 17, from using TikTok by not using an internet-enabled phone while preparing for her WAEC and JAMB exams. She doesn’t need any internet access to study for these exams. All the materials are in hard copy and she was left with no other option than to study hard with full focus.

“In fact, her accessibility to an internet-enabled device is hinged on acing the exams very well. Otherwise, no man born of a woman can make her use it; and if she does, it means she has found another sponsor for her education moving forward.”

He said that though social media has its advantages, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

He added, “No doubt, social media has its good sides, but the negatives outweigh the positives, especially for children and teenagers. Even as adults, you have to make conscious efforts not to be swept away by the negativity and distractions of social media.