The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said it will not rescind its decision on the use of biometrics in the conduct of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This was contained in the Board’s weekly bulletin issued in Lagos, yesterday.
According to the bulletin, the importance of biometrics in the conduct of the board’s examination cannot be over-emphasised.
It noted that the Biometrics Verification Machine (BVM) was introduced by the board in an attempt to get rid of the numerous forms of examination malpractice.
It said the BVM was a security mechanism used for the authentication of candidates’ identity as it provided access to the individual data, based on physiological characteristics.
“The core value of a biometric verification process lies in its ability to provide extra layers of security and protection against counterfeiting and impersonation.
“The increasing threat of identity fraud during the board’s UTME before the advent of the BVM necessitated its introduction for capturing biometrics of candidates to counter fraud.
“The candidate’s 10 fingers are captured during registration and are used as clearance to admit them into the examination hall.
“There are various types of biometric solutions but JAMB opted for finger print recognition, to eliminate all forms of infractions.
“Biometric security is surely a breakthrough for the board, because the finger prints recognition technology provides a greater degree of security as it is impossible to steal, forget, loose or compromise data already captured.
“Therefore, the adoption of biometrics in the conduct of our examination is here to stay,” JAMB noted.
The examination body reassured candidates that their fingerprints would not be used for any purpose other than identification.
According to the bulletin, the benefits of the BVM are immense and indispensible to the assessment process.
The board had, prior to commencement of the sale of its 2019 registration documents on February 10, warned that it would not re-schedule any examination for candidates with biometric issues and added that candidates with issues of biometrics must visit the board’s headquarters in Abuja to be captured.
JAMB also noted that out of 52 candidates with such challenges nationwide, only 22 showed up at the board’s headquarters for the process.