The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has addressed recent insinuations circulating via e-mails and social media regarding the 2025/2026 Post-UTME screening exercise, which took place from September 1 to September 4, 2025.
In a statement issued by the university, signed by Adejoke R. Alaga-Ibraheem, Head, Communication Unit, the institution stressed that the notifications of examination malpractice sent to some candidates of the screening exercise were not caused by a system or technical glitch.
“The University of Lagos notes, with concern, the circulation of various insinuations and claims in e-mails and reports on social media platforms, following the 2025/2026 Post-UTME screening exercise that held from September 1- 4, 2025.
The University categorically affirms that the notification of examination malpractice earlier issued in respect of the screening exercise was not ‘the result of a system or technical glitch’ as being insinuated in these emails and reports,” the statement read.
Examination violations
UNILAG explained that the flagged cases were the result of clear violations of established examination guidelines.
“For the avoidance of doubt, cases flagged were the result of clear violations of established examination guidelines. These detections followed the use of multiple monitoring mechanisms, including secure video surveillance, deployed to ensure the integrity of the screening process.”
The management also clarified that, in accordance with existing laws and data protection standards, it will not release uncensored video recordings to the public. However, it may publish a limited number of anonymised screenshots solely to illustrate the type of violations under review.
The university warned candidates to disregard information from unauthorised channels and rely exclusively on communications issued through the University’s official platforms and channels, earlier indicated in prior notices to them.
More insights
From September 1 to September 4, 2025, UNILAG conducted its Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) online screening assessment for prospective undergraduate students.
Approximately 20,464 candidates participated in this exercise, which was held entirely online. The screening process was designed to assess candidates’ suitability for admission into various undergraduate programs at the university.
Following the completion of the screening exercise, the university flagged certain candidates for examination malpractice. This led to a wave of online discussions and concerns among candidates and the public. Many candidates believed they were wrongly flagged for malpractice or questioned the results due to alleged glitches in the system. These concerns were circulated through social media platforms.
Concurrently, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) conducted its Post-UTME screening exercise around the same period, and candidates from the institution reportedly raised similar complaints regarding the assessment.
Legal action threatened over alleged glitches.
Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare, disclosed via a post on X on September 10, 2025, that he intends to commence legal action against Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) over glitches in their recent Post-UTME screening exercises.
Onyia said that hundreds of students reported being affected by the Post-UTME glitch, and he highlighted the severe emotional toll on some candidates.
“I currently have 752 reports from students who were affected by the glitch. A young girl named Bridget just took her life because of OAU glitch,” he said
The Educare CEO criticized both universities for using the same vendor, Web Test, which he claims experienced a major technical bug during the examinations.
“OAU and UNILAG used the same vendor ‘Web Test’ for their Post-UTME exam recently conducted. Web Test had a major bug with its useless AI.
“Several students were wrongly flagged as malpractice. And also, people were given very strange scores.
How can someone who scored 360 in JAMB be scoring 20 in Post-UTME?” he questioned.
Onyia offered to help investigate the glitches and called for accountability from the universities.
“My organization can conduct an independent audit at no cost to any of the universities if they wish. The constant bullying of these youngsters has to stop!” he said.
What you should know
In the months leading up to the 2025/2026 Post-UTME screening exercises, several educational institutions and examination authorities in Nigeria experienced repeated system interruptions that disrupted examinations, result checks and registration processes, causing delays and anxiety for candidates.
- In the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), JAMB encountered significant technical issues that affected nearly 380,000 candidates across Lagos and the South-East zones. As a result, 157 centres were impacted, with 65 centres in Lagos affecting 206,610 candidates, and 92 centres in the Owerri zone affecting 173,387 candidates.
- WAEC temporarily suspended its result checker portal on August 6, after an internal review revealed technical bugs affecting key subjects such as Mathematics, English, Biology, and Economics.
- NECO also shut down its examination platforms nationwide for scheduled maintenance following several days of unplanned downtime, which disrupted result checks, registrations, and verifications, affecting some students’ timelines for both local and international applications.
- Similarly, JAMB also temporarily suspended parts of its portal in recent months to address system issues and ensure a more secure and reliable platform for candidates.
These past incidents highlight the recurring challenges of managing large-scale computer-based assessments in Nigeria.
