* Our children read memes, not books -Frustrated parents

* Students blame system failure, vow to try again

By Sade Adewale & Kayode Olabanji

As outrage spreads across the country over the alarming failure rate recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), experts, parents and students have raised the red flag over the negative influence of the social media and the fast-rising get-rich-quick syndrome called ‘Yahoo, Yahoo’, among Nigerian youths.

An educationist, Mr Omowole Akintade, while speaking with Weekend Hope in Akure, described platforms like TikTok as major distractions that have gradually eroded the reading culture among students, insisting that education is no longer held in high esteem by the youth.

According to him, many young Nigerians now view schooling as outdated, preferring to chase online fame and fortune via content creation or criminal activities, rather than commit to years of learning.

Akintade stated:  “In today’s society, many young people see education as an outdated route to success. Instead, they gravitate towards platforms like TikTok, spending hours consuming entertaining but non-educational content.”

While he admitted that concrete evidence linking poor performance to social media addiction is limited, he stressed that the correlation is hard to overlook.

“There may be no verifiable evidence connecting excessive TikTok use with low exam scores, but it’s difficult to dismiss the impact entirely. That said, examination bodies like JAMB may also share part of the blame,” he added.

Akintade suggested that the establishment of a rival examination body could provide a clearer assessment of systemic flaws within the current education and testing framework.

“Only then can we properly assess where the fault lies,” he added.

He, however, expressed doubt over the government’s readiness to enact policies that would meaningfully address the growing crisis of distraction and academic underperformance.

“I doubt whether policymakers can do much to curb the negative impact of social media on students’ academic performance. After all, some students still perform well despite their social media usage,” Akintade noted.

Backing this position, Mr Jeffrey Ogunmodede warned that the average Nigerian student now spends close to 10 hours weekly on platforms like TikTok, leaving little room for meaningful academic engagement.

“TikTok’s engaging and addictive content makes it difficult for students to concentrate on their academic responsibilities. Spending 8 to 10 hours weekly on such platforms takes away from valuable study time and can affect JAMB performance,” he said.

He advised students to strike a balance by setting time limits for both academic work and leisure to prevent academic derailment.

Also lending his voice, Mr Ayodele Oni expressed concern over the growing acceptance of cybercrime, popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo among youths, warning that the pursuit of quick wealth is fast displacing long-term academic goals.

“The lure of easy money diverts attention from education. Risk-taking behaviours, driven by the promise of instant wealth, can lead students into criminal activities, undermining their academic prospects and future careers,” Oni warned.

He said many students now approach major exams like JAMB with zero preparation because their attention has been diverted to fraudulent schemes online.

“The pursuit of quick wealth over academic achievement denies young people the chance to build skills, grow intellectually, and lay a strong foundation for future success,” he added.

Some parents also expressed anger and sorrow over the release of the 2025 UTME results, which saw over 1.5 million candidates scoring below the 200 mark out of a possible 400.

Many parents, teachers and observers described the development as not only shocking but also indicative of deeper systemic problems in Nigeria’s education system.

Mr Adewale Adekolurejo, a parent in Akure, blamed both the parents and the government for the failing standards, noting that some families have simply given up on education.

“This is not just about the children, it’s about a system that is failing them. Imagine, I’m a graduate. I served this country, yet here I am, selling cosmetics. How do you expect me to convince my children that education is the key to success when, despite my qualifications, I can’t provide for my family?” he lamented.

Adekolurejo decried the growing trend of parents sponsoring children to “special centres” where exam malpractice thrives or equipping them with expensive gadgets to facilitate internet fraud.

“Even in today’s harsh economic climate, parents must still take responsibility. In our time, it wasn’t easy either, but we prioritised our duties. Now, some parents pay for ‘special centres’ during exams or buy N500,000 phones for their children to engage in Yahoo,” he said.

He also faulted government’s neglect of public education, accusing political leaders of hypocrisy.

“Many of our leaders were beneficiaries of free education, yet today they seem indifferent. Now more than ever, free and quality education should be a priority,” he said.

Another parent, Mrs Atoyebi Elizabeth, described the results as “heartbreaking”, revealing that out of 1.9 million students who wrote the exam, 1.5 million failed to score above 200.

“Out of 1.9 million students who sat for JAMB, 1.5 million scored below 200. That’s disheartening,” she said.

According to her, the harsh economic reality has made many parents unable to focus on their children’s academic development, with some even encouraging harmful choices just to survive.

“Many parents are too preoccupied with survival to focus on their children’s education. Some even encourage them to spend time on TikTok or engage in internet fraud to support the family. It’s not that they’re happy about it, but the harsh economy has forced them into acceptance,” she lamented.

She made a passionate appeal to the federal, state and local governments to step in and salvage the future of Nigerian children.

“I’m using this medium to plead with all levels of government to secure the future of this nation. The economy is so bad that eating three square meals is now a struggle for many Nigerians. Survival has become the only focus for most families,” she said.

Elizabeth recounted a disturbing encounter with a neighbour who advised her son to abandon schooling and learn online fraud instead.

“A parent in my area told her son who had just finished secondary school, ‘Go and meet your friends doing Yahoo to teach you. I can’t afford to send you to university.’ Imagine a parent saying that,” she said.

She closed with a sobering reflection.

“The problem isn’t just with parents or mobile phones, the government has a huge role to play. As parents, we are not happy. But what can we do when even we, the educated ones, have nothing to show for our efforts? I am out here hawking on the streets. It’s painful,” she said.

Some of the students who participated in the 2025 UTME told Weekend Hope that they were heartbroken by their results, saying they had studied hard but still failed to meet the required cut-off marks.

“I burnt the midnight oil, attended coaching classes, and avoided social media for months, yet my score was below 180,” said 17-year old Toluwani, a candidate from Ibadan. “I don’t even know what to believe anymore. I thought hard work would pay off.”

Another student, Aisha Bello said: “I tried my best, and it’s painful. I feel like I’ve failed myself and my parents. But at the same time, I see people who didn’t even write JAMB doing well in Yahoo. It’s frustrating.”

However, a number of students questioned whether education still holds value in present-day Nigeria.

“Let’s be honest, does education really count in this country?” asked 19-year old Samuel, a candidate from Lagos.

 “Our leaders are thieves, and many of them didn’t even pass WAEC. I know people doing Yahoo who are building houses, while graduates are begging to eat,” he added.

Another student said: “The system is broken. You go to school, struggle for years, graduate and end up jobless. Meanwhile, guys who barely passed secondary school are cashing out online.”

Experts warn that such sentiments, if left unchecked, could push more young Nigerians away from academics and into cybercrime and content chasing, further weakening the nation’s intellectual base.