Examination Fraud Puts Nigerian Education Sector in Peril – JAMB Committee Chair Epelle

The Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Special Committee on Examination Infractions, Jake Epelle, has warned that Nigeria’s education sector is “in serious trouble” following widespread cases of examination malpractice uncovered in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Epelle said JAMB’s investigations revealed 4,251 cases of “finger blending” — a technique used to bypass biometric verification — and 190 cases of artificial intelligence-assisted impersonation through image morphing.

He described the findings as alarming, stressing that if urgent reforms were not implemented, Nigeria’s education system risked total collapse.

“Exam fraud uncovered by JAMB shows that Nigeria’s education sector is in trouble. If left unchecked, examination malpractice will continue to erode merit, undermine public trust, and destroy the very foundation of Nigeria’s education and human capital development,” Epelle warned.

The revelations have reignited concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s admission process and the long-term consequences for the country’s workforce. Analysts say the rising sophistication of exam fraudsters poses a major challenge to educational authorities already grappling with underfunding and poor infrastructure.

JAMB has promised to intensify efforts to tighten security, deploy advanced technology, and collaborate with security agencies to crack down on syndicates behind examination fraud.