s the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exami- nation (UTME) begins on Thursday, April 16, the A national mood is one of cautious anticipation. For millions of candidates, the examination remains a decisive gateway to higher education, an institutional rite of passage that carries profound academic and social consequenc- es. Yet, the exercise unfolds under the lingering shadow of the turbulence that characterised the 2025 edition. That experience must not be forgotten or repeated. Last year’s UTME, though anchored in computer-based testing and designed to project efficiency, was undermined e…