The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has sounded the alarm over a disturbing trend in examination malpractice, revealing that parents are responsible for 80% of fraudulent activities recorded during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This revelation was made by Jake Epelle, Chairman of JAMB’s Special Committee on Examination Infractions, during the presentation of the committee’s report to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in Abuja. Epelle later appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he emphasized the growing role of parents in undermining the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process.
“Eighty percent of these infractions are caused by parents who want to give marks to their children that they don’t deserve,” Epelle stated.
Epelle warned that the rise of technology-enabled malpractice, especially involving artificial intelligence, poses new challenges to examination integrity. He advocated for adaptive, homegrown technological solutions tailored to Nigeria’s unique environment.
“Every technology has its own glitches, and that is why I am a proponent of adaptive technology. We need a system that speaks to the issues we are going through,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Prof. Oloyede reaffirmed JAMB’s commitment to upholding the credibility of the UTME and ensuring that merit remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions.