The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has urgently appealed for significant measures to address the increasing incidence of advanced digital exam cheating in Nigeria.
JAMB cautioned that this pattern could lead to significant long-term harm to Nigeria’s educational framework.
Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the JAMB registrar, issued this appeal at a recent gathering in Abuja, according to the JAMB bulletin released on Monday.
Oloyede characterized the changing strategies used by scammers throughout the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as "disturbing, extremely advanced, and potentially threatening the country’s progress."
Oloyede cautioned that malpractice is not just undermining education and research but also jeopardizing our shared future.
There is a pressing requirement for immediate steps regarding these recent and alarming changes. This threat should not be taken lightly by the general populace.
He expressed regret that rather than tackling the increasing issue, "many individuals are squandering their efforts on promoting harmful conspiracy theories and fostering hate, even as our future is endangered by a fresh generation of advanced digital scam artists."
The registrar explained that extensive cheating during the 2025 UTME was discovered, resulting in the cancellation of certain test outcomes and the apprehension of multiple individuals involved across the country.
According to him, JAMB discovered that certain Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and school proprietors had colluded with hackers to gain remote access to candidates’ systems and submit pre-programmed answers to local servers at compromised centres.
Oloyede also pointed out the utilization of AI-powered photo manipulation for impersonating candidates, mentioning that most of these impostors were currently enrolled undergraduate students. Additional deceptive methods involved included:
He mentioned that these registrations also involve combining fingerprint data, where prints from several individuals are merged for a single applicant's enrollment.
He pointed out the expansion of local area networks from questionable hubs to distant "secure chambers," along with the practice of matching candidates with hired professionals to enter the exam venue.
He disclosed that more than 3,000 individuals have been pinpointed as either collaborators or recipients of these criminal activities, emphasizing that numerous candidates are college students who are currently studying at various educational institutions.
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