In Nigeria, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a defining moment for thousands of young candidates annually. Often seen as a gateway to higher education and future aspirations, the exam period comes with immense pressure and anticipation. However, the 2025 UTME has sparked widespread concern following JAMB’s decision to schedule some sessions for as early as 6:30 a.m., a move that many are describing as insensitive to the realities facing young candidates.
The debate surrounding this early scheduling is not merely about convenience; it is intricately tied to issues of student welfare, safety, logistics, and the broader socio-economic challenges prevalent in Nigeria. The conversation has gained urgency, especially following the distressing report of a candidate who was kidnapped on her way to her exam centre—a young girl who, thankfully, was later found. This unfolding situation has ignited nationwide discussions among parents, education stakeholders, child rights advocates, and the general public.
Scheduling exams for 6:30 a.m. might seem efficient from a logistical perspective. In theory, it allows JAMB to manage a larger number of candidates per day by running multiple sessions. However, the practical implications for candidates, most of whom are between 15 and 18 years old, have proven problematic.
In many parts of Nigeria, public transportation services are either unavailable or unreliable at such early hours. Candidates are often forced to leave home as early as 4:00 a.m., navigating through poorly lit streets and deserted roads. For minors, many of whom are still under parental guardianship, this raises significant safety concerns. Many others have to sleep over at the exam centers, in the cold while others would have parents and guardians accompany them. Let’s not forget students who have to travel inter-state to write their exams. More so, Nigeria’s chronic insecurity—from armed robberies to kidnappings and ritual attacks—makes such early movement extremely risky, particularly for young people travelling alone or with minimal protection.
The average UTME candidate is fresh out of secondary school, generally between 15 and 18 years old. These teenagers are, by every standard, vulnerable. Expecting them to venture into uncertain conditions at dawn disregards their physical and emotional safety. Parents are often left with little choice but to accompany their children, resulting in families hiring private transport or taking other costly safety measures. Not all families, however, can afford this. The reality for many lower-income households is stark, they rely on unreliable public transport and are thus more exposed to the associated dangers. Moreover, in a society already struggling with issues of child abduction and gender-based violence, particularly towards young girls, the risks are magnified.
The fears surrounding JAMB’s early exam scheduling were tragically validated when reports emerged of a girl who was kidnapped en route to her examination centre surfaced on X. Although she was later found, the trauma endured by her, her family, and the wider community underscores the gravity of the situation. Also on April 25, a tragic road accident claimed the lives of JAMB candidates on Oyo-Ogbomosho road. This is just but to mention a few. This incident serves as a grim reminder that administrative convenience should never come at the cost of student safety. In a nation where road safety and personal security remain major challenges, asking children to travel before dawn borders on negligence. It also raises critical questions about who bears responsibility should incidents like these become more frequent: Is it JAMB, the schools, the government, or society at large?
Another dimension to this issue is the socioeconomic and geographic disparity it exacerbates. Students in urban centres may have better access to safer, more reliable transportation compared to their rural counterparts. In less developed areas, roads may be treacherous, with little to no transport options in the early morning hours. Thus, the early scheduling unintentionally favours the privileged while placing a heavier burden on students from less affluent backgrounds. It intensifies educational inequalities that already exist within the system.
Beyond the physical danger, there are also emotional and psychological implications. Preparing for a critical examination like UTME is already anxiety-inducing. Adding the fear of personal safety, exhaustion from early wake-ups, and stress from logistical uncertainty compounds candidates’ mental burden. Sleep deprivation, nervousness about making it to the exam centre on time, and heightened anxiety can severely affect performance. A candidate who has had to navigate unsafe streets in the dark may arrive at the exam centre too mentally fatigued to perform at their best, ultimately undermining the very objective of the examination.
In response to initial criticisms, JAMB has defended its scheduling, citing that exams do no start by 6:30am. Reacting on Sunday, JAMB clarified that while candidates are expected to arrive by 6:30 am for verification and clearance, the examinations officially begin at 8:00 am. not 6:00 am. While verification and other clearance processes begins at 6:30am , it is imperative that candidates are afforded adequate time to settle in before the exam begins.” The board explained that the early arrival was necessary to prevent late-coming, which could disrupt the exercise.
However, critics insist that efficiency must not override safety and equity. Education stakeholders are calling on JAMB to rethink its logistics and adopt a more humane scheduling system. Suggestions include extending the examination window over a longer period to reduce the need for multiple daily sessions, thus avoiding such early hours. Others advocate for decentralising exam centres further, creating more localised testing hubs so that candidates do not have to travel long distances. Another practical solution is ensuring that the earliest exam slot begins no earlier than 8:00 a.m., which aligns better with safety and transportation realities.
The JAMB scheduling controversy speaks to larger systemic issues within Nigeria’s education sector—chief among them, inadequate planning, infrastructural gaps, and insufficient prioritisation of student welfare. It also highlights the urgent need for institutions to build policies around the lived experiences of the people they serve, particularly the youth. Listening to students, parents, and teachers when crafting administrative policies is not merely democratic; it is essential for creating safe and enabling environments. Nigeria must begin to centre human dignity and safety in all aspects of governance, including education.
The outcry over the 6:30 a.m. JAMB exam schedule is more than mere complaints; it is a legitimate call for justice, protection, and empathy for Nigeria’s future leaders. Children and teenagers seeking to advance their education should not be placed in harm’s way to fulfil administrative quotas.
