By Odigie-Okpataku

Veteran Nigerian music legend, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has added his voice to the growing outcry over the mass failure recorded in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), calling for an urgent and complete overhaul of the nation’s education system.

The singer, known not just for his timeless music but also for his vocal advocacy on national issues, took to his Instagram page to express deep concern following the release of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) results, which revealed shockingly low pass rates among candidates.

“If almost 80% of students failed JAMB, then it’s no longer about the students,” 2Baba posted. “Our entire system needs a reset. How do you expect excellence from a structure that is broken from the ground up?”

2Baba’s remarks come amidst growing criticism of Nigeria’s education policies, learning environments, and testing standards. With tens of thousands of students failing to meet the minimum cut-off mark for university admission, questions are being raised not just about the quality of instruction but the fairness and relevance of the exam structure itself.

Education analysts and stakeholders have also expressed concern over the recurring trend of mass failure in national examinations. Many attribute the crisis to poor funding, outdated curricula, underpaid teachers, lack of infrastructure, and a widening digital divide that leaves millions of students ill-equipped in a fast-changing world.

This year’s JAMB report painted a bleak picture. Out of over 1.9 million registered candidates, a significant percentage scored below 200 in the 400-mark exam. In fact, less than 30% of test-takers managed to reach or exceed the benchmark required for most tertiary institutions.