Psychologists Call for Action After Lagos Student’s Suicide Following UTME Results
Mental health professionals are urging for a more comprehensive approach to supporting students under the pressure of examinations, following the tragic death of a 19-year-old girl in Lagos. The teenager, identified as Timilehin, reportedly took her own life after receiving her 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results. Timilehin, who had scored 190 in the exam, believed it was a lower score than her previous year’s performance.
Community members expressed grief and frustration, with some blaming the examination board for her death. Mental health experts, however, have stressed the need for better support for students dealing with the emotional strain of academic pressures. Michael Jacob, a psychotherapist and founder of Emotion Compass Academy, emphasized the importance of students not equating their academic performance with their self-worth. He stated, “Your value is not defined by a number on a result slip. The UTME is only one doorway out of many. If that door closes, another will open—but you must still be here to walk through it.” Jacob encouraged students to reach out for support rather than suffer in silence, advising them to talk to trusted individuals like counsellors, parents, or teachers when emotional pain becomes unbearable.
Patricia Udosen, a mental health psychologist, highlighted the immense pressure students face during exams and the emotional toll of unmet expectations. She urged students to process their emotions constructively and seek support when needed. Udosen advised parents to provide emotional support to their children, reminding them that failure is not the end but a stepping stone to success.
Clinical psychologist Hammed Lateefat echoed these sentiments, stressing the need to normalize failure as a part of life. She encouraged students to reflect on their mistakes and use them as motivation to move forward, rather than allowing them to negatively impact their mental health.
In response to widespread complaints, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced it would review the 2025 UTME results. The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that a post-mortem examination of the examination process was underway to address the “significant volume of unusual complaints” it received following the results release.
