Why exam scores are dropping and what the country can do about it
Every year, hundreds of thousands of young Nigerians file into exam halls—nervous, hopeful, and determined to secure a university slot through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). But each year, fewer emerge with the results they need. The data tells a troubling story: the percentage of candidates who meet university cut-off marks is falling. Yet, as with most things in Nigeria, the explanation for this failure is not singular. It is systemic.
Examinations are not just assessments of student ability; they are mirrors reflecting the ecosystem in which learning occurs. In JAMB’s case, that mirror is cracked. The performance crisis is a national one—shaped by parents, teachers, schools, government policy, peers, and institutions themselves.
Parents: The First Teachers
Learning begins at home. Yet too many Nigerian homes are no longer bastions of discipline or curiosity. Many parents outsource educational responsibility to overburdened schools and underpaid tutors. Few model intellectual engagement or set limits on digital distraction. The habit of reading—a cornerstone of cognitive development—is not cultivated by command, but by example. When parents fail to lead, students flounder.
Teachers: A Workforce in Crisis
Teachers are the backbone of any education system, but in Nigeria, that backbone is buckling. Many join the profession out of necessity, not calling. The national requirement of a Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) is inconsistently enforced. In under-resourced schools, teachers must manage overcrowded classrooms without adequate materials or support. The result is a pedagogy of survival, not inspiration. Worse still, the culture of cheating—sometimes enabled by teachers—corrodes the very foundations of academic integrity.
Schools: Infrastructure Without Impact
Nigeria’s schools are physical spaces but often lack the physical tools for modern learning. Libraries are empty, laboratories idle, and computer labs non-existent. In rural areas, students still learn under trees. The lack of an enabling learning environment makes it hard for even the most motivated students to thrive. And when schools turn a blind eye to academic misconduct or use lax cut-off marks as a fundraising strategy, standards plummet further.
The State: Absent Policymaker, Passive Regulator
The federal and state governments set the tone. Unfortunately, they have adopted a tone of abdication. Educational policies lack consistency, funding is inadequate, and oversight is weak. The Ministry of Education has presided over the steady decline of university entry benchmarks, normalising mediocrity. In the process, the value of merit—and the drive to attain it—has withered.
The paradox is cruel: students are being asked to excel in a system that has not prepared them to do so.
Peers and the Pull of Distraction
Students are not immune to their environment. Peer pressure, often magnified by social media, prioritises the superficial over the cerebral. Screens compete with books, and instant gratification trumps long-term planning. While technology can be a tool for learning, it more often serves as a distraction. The fault is not just with the students, but with the absence of digital literacy campaigns and safe digital spaces for learners.
JAMB: The Gatekeeper Under Fire
JAMB is the conduit between secondary schools and tertiary institutions—a high-stakes filter for higher education. Yet it too is not beyond reproach. The adoption of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) model is progressive in theory but exclusionary in practice. Millions of Nigerian students, especially in rural areas, lack access to functional computers, and digital fluency is low. Exam schedules are often chaotic, test centres overcrowded, and support services weak. Worse, JAMB’s opaque grading system leaves both candidates and schools guessing.
If JAMB is to restore trust, it must invest in pre-exam sensitisation, expand access to digital training tools, and publish a clear grading rubric. Flexibility, fairness, and transparency are not optional—they are foundational.
A Ministry With a Mandate and No Mission
The Ministry of Education, charged with coordinating the national response, has instead become a bystander. It has presided over the erosion of standards without meaningful intervention. A recalibration is overdue. First, it must clamp down on exploitative practices by schools. Second, it must set and enforce higher entry thresholds for teachers. And third, it must reverse the creeping normalisation of underperformance by revisiting the national cut-off mark framework.
Carrots, Not Just Sticks
Nigeria’s education system is plagued by low expectations, but high expectations alone are not enough. Incentives matter. JAMB, which generates billions in annual revenue, could devote a portion of its surplus to scholarships for top performers. Recognition breeds motivation, and motivation can become momentum.
The Way Forward: Fixing a Broken System
To reverse the decline, Nigeria must:
Parents: Commit to active involvement in children’s education—limit screen time, encourage reading, and monitor progress.
Teachers: Mandate NCE minimum standards, improve training, and tie pay to performance.
Schools: Crack down on exam fraud, invest in infrastructure, and partner with tech firms for computer literacy programs.
Government: Stop lowering cut-off marks, punish schools exploiting weak standards, and fund education properly.
JAMB: Introduce scholarships for top scorers, decentralize CBT centers, and provide clearer grading criteria.
Hope Is Not a Policy
Ultimately, the notion that pain today guarantees gain tomorrow is a fallacy—especially if those asked to bear the pain are already hungry, under-taught, and under-equipped. The JAMB crisis is not merely an education issue; it is an economic, social, and moral one. If Nigeria is serious about development, then rescuing its examination system—and the broader educational apparatus—must become a national priority.
As things stand, too many of Nigeria’s youth are being failed before they have even had the chance to fail themselves.
No More Excuses
Nigeria cannot afford another generation of poorly educated graduates. The decline in JAMB results is a symptom of systemic failure—one that requires accountability at every level. Parents, teachers, schools, policymakers, and students themselves must all take responsibility.
The future of Nigeria’s economy depends on it.
