The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to introduce live Facial Biometric Verification (FBV) for candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Board said the new system will be deployed in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to curb impersonation and improve the speed and reliability of candidate verification.
Under the arrangement, candidates will undergo live facial verification through a dedicated app. The result will be forwarded to NIMC, which will then send back a code to JAMB to confirm or reject the candidate’s identity.
JAMB said it will retain the existing 10-fingerprint format in the short term to be used alongside facial verification.
However, FBV will eventually replace One-Time Passwords, OTPs, while fingerprint verification will be phased out within the next two to three years.
The Board described facial verification as a touchless biometric method that uses unique facial features to confirm identity.
Unlike fingerprint scanners, it does not require physical contact and uses standard cameras built into smartphones, tablets and computers. JAMB said the process takes less than a second.
The Board noted that fingerprint verification often fails when a candidate’s fingers are damaged, wet, dirty, greasy or worn. Such cases have in the past led to system failure, anxiety and, in some instances, violence.
“With the expected adoption of FBV, the incidence of unverified candidates and the consequent rescheduling of examinations for affected candidates will be a thing of the past,” JAMB stated.
The Board added that touchless scanning will also help prevent the spread of microbes in public examination spaces and provide a more reliable method of authentication.
To support the rollout, JAMB said it is putting in place measures to ensure all accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT), centres are equipped with appropriate CCTV cameras and that staff receive the required training.