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JAMB's New Cut-Off Marks and the Tragedy of Lowered Expectations
The recent announcement by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that the cut-off marks for tertiary institutions in Nigeria for 2025 will be 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences, is nothing short of a national tragedy. Rather than raising the bar and demanding excellence, we are watching in real time as the gatekeepers of our educational future collapse the very standards that once gave our institutions their pride.
When I wrote my UTME and scored 200, I remember feeling like I hadn't done enough. I was aiming for Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), one of Nigeria's most competitive institutions. A score below 200 meant you had to rethink your options. That was the spirit of competition. That was what drove us to spend sleepless nights studying. It was a time when students feared underperformance--not because they weren't intelligent, but because they knew excellence was non-negotiable.
But now, we are normalising mediocrity. We are celebrating 100 as though it is an achievement. Tell me: what kind of student prepares for an important national exam like UTME and scores 100 out of 400? That's just 25 per cent! And instead of raising alarm, we are adjusting standards downward to accommodate such poor performance.
This is deeply disturbing.
Many students today do not prepare adequately for their exams. Some pick up their books just a day before, believing miracles will happen. Instead of libraries, they are in lounges; instead of group discussions, they are glued to their phones. Social media and smartphones have become both a distraction and a crutch. We are breeding a generation that believes success is spontaneous and does not require hard work.
The problem isn't just with the students--it's institutional. Every year, JAMB lowers the cut-off marks in a bid to "accommodate more students." But what are we really accommodating? The reality is that we are institutionalising failure, endorsing laziness, and discouraging brilliance. We are telling our youth that excellence is optional. That you don't have to work hard--just show up, and you'll be carried along.
This trend must stop.
Education is the foundation of national development. When we dilute our academic standards, we are not only damaging individual futures--we are undermining our national growth. The benchmark for university admission should not fall below 200. We need to revive the culture of academic rigour, restore competition, and make excellence fashionable again.
Rather than reduce the bar, JAMB should invest in orientation campaigns that promote academic discipline, critical thinking, and a reading culture. The Ministry of Education must work with secondary schools to ensure students are well prepared. Parents must also play their part by encouraging reading and setting limits on screen time.
Let us be clear: true success comes through sacrifice, discipline, and preparation. We must not allow a generation to grow up believing otherwise.
If we must build a Nigeria that competes globally, we must stop accommodating mediocrity and start demanding excellence.
Baba Abdullahi Machina, Social Accountability and Climate Justice Advocate, Spotlight for Tranprency and Accountability Initaitve
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