The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to introduce Facial Biometric Verification (FBV) as part of measures to strengthen the security of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and curb impersonation and examination malpractice.

According to the Board, the new technology will complement the existing biometric verification system and provide an additional layer of authentication for candidates sitting the UTME.

JAMB announced this in its weekly bulletin, obtained on Monday in Abuja, noting that the initiative aligns with the ongoing reforms by the new Registrar of the Board, Professor Segun Aina.

The Board explained that Facial Biometric Verification uses unique facial features to confirm candidates’ identities, offering advantages over conventional biometric methods such as fingerprint and iris scanning.

To implement the system, the Board said it would partner with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that candidates’ live facial images captured during the UTME are matched against their identity records.

Under the arrangement, candidates’ facial images captured during the examination would be forwarded to NIMC through an application, which would generate a code to be sent back to JAMB, confirming or rejecting the candidate’s identity.

JAMB explained that the move followed the Board’s efforts in recent years to deploy appropriate technology to improve the integrity of its examinations and ensure that all accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres possess the required CCTV cameras and other facilities.

The Board said the new facial verification process would not require physical contact with a scanner, unlike fingerprint authentication, as it would rely on cameras to capture candidates’ faces.

It added that the technology was designed to be fast and convenient, with facial verification taking less than a second under appropriate conditions.

According to the Board, the system also works with standard user-facing cameras commonly found in smartphones, tablets and computers, eliminating the need for dedicated fingerprint or retina-scanning hardware.

JAMB noted that the facial verification system was expected to be more reliable than fingerprint scanners, which could fail when candidates’ fingers are dirty, wet, greasy or worn down.

It said such fingerprint-related failures had, in some cases, resulted in system errors, anxiety, frustration and even tension among candidates.

The Board said It would, however, retain its existing 10-fingerprint biometric format in the immediate future while integrating facial verification into the examination process.

It disclosed that, in the long term, facial verification could replace the use of One-Time Passwords (OTP) and eventually phase out fingerprint authentication within the next two to three years.

JAMB said the adoption of facial biometric verification would also reduce the incidence of unverified candidates and minimise the need to reschedule examinations for candidates affected by biometric verification failures.

Beyond improving examination security, the Board said the contactless nature of facial scanning would help reduce the spread of microbes in examination centres.

The initiative, it added, forms part of JAMB’s broader commitment to deploying technology to enhance the credibility, efficiency and security of the UTME. (Nigerian Tribune)