JAMB Committee Blames Parents for 80% of UTME Infractions

Education
09.09.2025
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$JAMB Committee Blames Parents for 80% of UTME Infractions$

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has once again raised alarm
over the growing cases of examination malpractice in Nigeria’s
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This time, JAMB’s
Special Committee on Examination Infractions has pointed fingers at parents,
accusing them of being responsible for as much as 80 percent of fraudulent
activities recorded in the 2025 UTME.

The revelation was made by Dr. Jake Epelle, Chairman of the Special Committee,
during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. His comments follow an
earlier report presented by the committee to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede,
highlighting the disturbing role of parents in perpetuating malpractice.

According to Dr. Epelle, parents actively sponsor and facilitate malpractice
in a bid to secure high scores for their children. He stated:

“Eighty percent of these infractions are caused by parents who want to give marks to their
children that they don’t deserve.”

The implication of this revelation is that examination malpractice is not just a matter of
desperate candidates but rather a systemic issue deeply rooted in
parental pressure and societal obsession with certificates.
Many parents reportedly finance syndicates, contract impersonators, or manipulate
the system to ensure their children score higher than their actual abilities.

$JAMB Committee Blames Parents for 80% of UTME Infractions$

The UTME is Nigeria’s most important entry examination,
serving as the gateway to universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
However, it has been repeatedly plagued by malpractices despite JAMB’s adoption of
Computer-Based Test (CBT) technology aimed at curbing fraud.

Over the years, JAMB has invested in modern biometric verification systems,
real-time monitoring, and digital surveillance, but perpetrators of exam fraud
continue to find new ways to beat the system.

The 2025 UTME revealed new levels of sophistication in cheating,
with technology being exploited to outsmart JAMB’s robust systems. According to the committee’s findings:

1,878 false disability claims were recorded, where candidates falsely claimed disability status to gain concessions.
Multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations were uncovered, allowing candidates to attempt multiple exam entries.
Forged credentials were used in collusion with syndicates.
Advanced AI tools were deployed to manipulate candidate identities and pass biometric verifications.

These alarming discoveries underscore the challenge facing JAMB: as the body strengthens
its systems, fraudsters are also evolving with more technology-driven tricks.

$JAMB Committee Blames Parents for 80% of UTME Infractions$

Dr. Epelle emphasized that the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has
created an entirely new front in the war against malpractice. He noted:

“This is the age of AI, and what is going on is that JAMB rolls out a state-of-the-art technology;
there are people behind the scenes, and these are smart young Nigerians. The system is robust,
but there is a consistent conspiracy to undermine the system.”

Fraudsters are now using AI for image morphing, biometric spoofing,
and credential forgery, making it difficult to detect impersonation
with conventional systems.

The committee believes that Nigerian parents’ obsession with their children securing admission
at all costs is a major driver of fraud. From hiring syndicates to forging documents,
parents often go to extreme lengths to ensure success, thereby teaching their wards
that dishonesty is acceptable.

This has far-reaching consequences for the future workforce of Nigeria,
as it produces graduates who lack merit and professionals who may be incompetent
in critical fields such as medicine, engineering, and law.

While acknowledging JAMB’s investment in imported technologies,
Dr. Epelle argued that local solutions are urgently needed
to address Nigeria’s unique challenges.

He explained:

“Every technology has its own glitches, and that is why I am a proponent of adaptive technology.
We need a technology that is adapted within our environment, that speaks to issues that we are going through.”

This means that Nigeria cannot continue to rely solely on foreign systems but must develop
and adopt homegrown technologies that understand local cheating methods
and are tailored to the country’s educational context.

$JAMB Committee Blames Parents for 80% of UTME Infractions$

The committee’s findings have deep implications for Nigeria’s education system.
If not urgently addressed, examination malpractice will:

Undermine merit-based admissions into higher institutions.
Erode public trust in the credibility of national examinations.
Produce incompetent graduates unable to contribute meaningfully to society.
Encourage a culture of dishonesty among the younger generation.

However, if bold reforms are implemented including stricter parental accountability,
advanced AI-driven fraud detection, and locally adaptive technology Nigeria can safeguard
the credibility of its educational system.

The revelation by the JAMB Special Committee that parents are responsible for 80%
of UTME infractions is both alarming and instructive. It highlights the urgent
need for a multi-pronged strategy that not only strengthens technology
but also addresses the cultural and societal factors enabling fraud.

Parents, who should be the moral compass for their children, are instead complicit
in undermining Nigeria’s future. The call for adaptive technology and stricter enforcement
must therefore go hand in hand with public enlightenment campaigns that
promote honesty, integrity, and meritocracy in education.

As JAMB and policymakers reflect on these findings, the responsibility lies with
all stakeholders government, schools, parents, and students to ensure that the
UTME regains its credibility as a fair and merit-based gateway
into Nigeria’s higher institutions.