The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said they will not change its decision on the use of bio-metrics in the conduct of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This was made known in the board’s weekly bulletin issued on Sunday in Lagos.
According to the bulletin, the importance of bio-metrics in the conduct of the board’s examination cannot be overemphasized, NAN reports.
It noted that the Bio-metrics Verification Machine (BVM) was introduced by the board in an attempt to get rid of the numerous forms of examination malpractice.
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 bio-metric 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 bio-metrics 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 bio-metric solutions but JAMB opted for fingerprint recognition, to eliminate all forms of infractions.
“Bio-metric security is surely a breakthrough for the board because the fingerprints recognition technology provides a greater degree of security as it is impossible to steal, forget, lose or compromise data already captured.
“Therefore, the adoption of bio-metrics in the conduct of our examination is here to stay,” the bulletin read.
It reassured candidates that their fingerprints would not be used for any purpose other than identification.
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