The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the names of the top-performing candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The announcement was made by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, during the 2025 Policy Meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. This meeting is where JAMB sets guidelines for admissions into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.
Leading the pack is Okeke Chinedu Christian from Anambra State, who scored an impressive 375 out of 400. This makes him the highest scorer in the 2025 UTME. Coming in second is Ayuba Simon-Peter John from Gombe State with a score of 374. He chose Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, as his preferred institution and wants to study Mechanical Engineering. In third place is Jimoh Abdulmalik Olayinka from Kwara State, who scored 373. He picked the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and also hopes to study Mechanical Engineering.
Other candidates who made it to the top 10 include Roberts Ayibo Damiete, Ononugbo Chibueze Chigozirim, Olawepo Tunmise Gertrude, Afinotan Leslie, Azoyenime Samuel, and Oyebode Oluwapelumi, all scoring 373. Another notable candidate is 15-year-old Azoyenime Samuel Chukwuemeka, who aimed for 380 but scored 372. He wrote his exam at the WAEC CBT Centre in Ogba, Lagos, and shared that he prepared by practicing past JAMB questions from 1978 to 2024. Azoyenime mentioned that his mother supported him during his preparation, sometimes insisting he rest.
JAMB also revealed that 80.69% of the 1,905,539 candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME scored 160 and above, marking the highest performance rate in the last six years. To promote transparency, JAMB introduced a new feature where each candidate’s result slip now shows their ranking among all participants. This move aims to reduce fraud and help universities make better admission decisions.
However, the spotlight on Okeke Chinedu Christian, the top scorer, has raised some concerns. JAMB discovered that Okeke, a 400-level medical student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), registered for the 2025 UTME to study Mechanical Engineering at UNILAG. This is unusual since he is already pursuing a medical degree. JAMB is investigating possible issues with his records, including discrepancies in his state of origin. While some reports claim he is from Anambra, official records show he is from Amuwo-Odofin in Lagos State. JAMB has reached out to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to ensure Okeke does not practice medicine under questionable circumstances.
The board also addressed issues of malpractice during the 2025 UTME. Anambra and Lagos were listed as the states with the highest cases of exam fraud. JAMB noted that some candidates used tactics like impersonation and even involved albinos for image manipulation to cheat the system. To tackle this, JAMB is working with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to verify candidates’ details using their National Identification Number (NIN).
In another update, JAMB released the results of the mop-up UTME held on June 28, 2025, for 11,161 candidates who missed the main exam or had biometric verification issues. Candidates can check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” as a single word to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number they registered with. JAMB stressed that candidates who fail to follow this process may not access their results.
JAMB also set the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions at 16 years, enforced through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). Candidates turning 16 by August 31, 2025, are eligible. The board warned against illegal admissions by some institutions and urged candidates to verify their admission status properly.
For more details on the 2025 UTME results and admission guidelines, visit the official JAMB website at www.jamb.gov.ng.