The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that it uncovered a staggering 1,665 fake A’level results during the 2023 Direct Entry registration exercise. The board described the A’level results verification regime as being characterized by corruption associated with the system.
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, made this disclosure during a meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Colleges of Education Students in Abuja. He expressed grave concern over the prevalence of fake certificates and emphasized the need to safeguard the integrity of A’level certificates used for admission.
Oloyede highlighted that out of the 1,665 fake A’level results uncovered, 397 were from Colleges of Education, 453 were university diplomas, and the remainder were from other A’level certificates. He expressed dismay over the lack of respect for educational certificates and stressed the importance of implementing measures to uphold their integrity.
The registrar recalled past practices where awarding institutions were solely responsible for screening and verifying candidates’ certificates during the Direct Entry application process. However, shocking revelations from Bayero University, Kano, where only six out of 148 Direct Entry applications had genuine certificates, prompted JAMB to convene critical stakeholders to address the issue.
As part of the measures suggested to combat fraud, Oloyede announced the constitution of an A’level result verification task force and the creation of a common platform for verifying A’level results and certificates. He emphasized the reliability and user-friendliness of the platform, which allows for quick verification of certificates within five minutes.
To underscore the importance of the verification process, JAMB has implemented a “No verification, No admission” policy. Fifteen institutions that have not sufficiently complied with verification requests have been identified, and candidates applying with certificates from these institutions will need to undergo pre-verification before completing their Direct Entry registration.
In a modification to the ongoing registration process, candidates are allowed to register while schools verify their certificates on the back end. However, the 15 institutions that have not fully complied will need to pre-verify certificate holders before candidates can complete their registration.
Eegunjobi Samuel, President of the National Association of Nigeria Colleges of Education Students, commended JAMB for its efforts to restore integrity and credibility in the examination and admission processes. He highlighted the challenges faced by students during the 2024 Direct Entry registration and requested additional registration centers to alleviate these issues.
Overall, JAMB’s proactive measures to address the prevalence of fake certificates and enhance the verification process aim to ensure fairness and transparency in the admission process, ultimately safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system.
