… to phase out fingerprint use
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to introduce Facial Biometric Verification (FBV) in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as part of efforts to tackle impersonation, examination malpractice and restore greater integrity to the examination process.
The development was contained in the Board’s weekly bulletin released on Monday.
JAMB said the planned transition marks another major step towards strengthening biometric identification and tightening security around the UTME, one of Nigeria’s largest annual public examinations.
Under the new arrangement, JAMB said it would partner the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to verify candidates through live facial recognition before they are allowed to sit for the UTME.
The Board said candidates seeking to take the examination would undergo live facial verification through an application, with the verification result forwarded to NIMC. The identity management agency would subsequently return a code to JAMB to either affirm or reject the candidate’s identity claim.
JAMB also said it would initially retain the existing 10-fingerprint biometric format alongside the live facial verification system.
However, it disclosed that the facial verification technology would eventually replace the use of One-Time Password (OTP), while fingerprint verification would be gradually phased out within the next two to three years.
To facilitate the transition, JAMB said it was already putting machinery in place to ensure that all accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres were equipped with appropriate Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and that personnel were adequately trained.
The Board explained that facial biometric verification uses unique facial features to establish a person’s identity, offering advantages over conventional biometric methods such as fingerprint and iris scanning.
Unlike fingerprint scanners that require candidates to make physical contact with a scanning pad, the new system would be completely touchless, requiring candidates only to look into a camera from a short distance.
JAMB said the process was not only fast and convenient, but could be completed in less than a second.
Another advantage, according to the Board, is that the technology does not require specialised biometric hardware. Instead, it can operate with standard user-facing cameras already available on smartphones, tablets and computers.
JAMB also noted that facial verification could be more reliable than fingerprint scanning, particularly in cases where candidates’ fingerprints are difficult to read because their fingers are damaged, wet, dirty, greasy or worn from manual work.
The Board said such situations had previously resulted in system failures, frustration and anxiety among candidates and, in some instances, anger and violence.
With the adoption of facial biometric verification, JAMB said it expected to eliminate the incidence of candidates being left unverified and the subsequent rescheduling of examinations for affected candidates.
The Board further said the technology would strengthen examination security by providing a highly secure method of authenticating candidates and making impersonation more difficult.
Beyond examination integrity, JAMB said the touchless nature of the system would also help reduce the spread of microbes in public examination environments.
