Nigeria’s university admissions body, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has stated that a viral dispute over a candidate’s hijab during registration for the nation’s most significant entrance exam into tertiary institutions is due to its biometric regulations, not religion.
- Nigeria’s university admissions body, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has stated that a viral dispute over a candidate’s...
- According to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for millions of...
- Background story In response to a widely shared social media video, a candidate at a JAMB registration centre at Afe Babalola...
- Compliance with international biometric standards JAMB said in a statement on Saturday that its registration procedure complies with international biometric standards...
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According to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for millions of applicants each year, requests for candidates to modify their head coverings during registration are not a religious restriction but rather a technical necessity for biometric photo capture.
Background story
In response to a widely shared social media video, a candidate at a JAMB registration centre at Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Southern Nigeria, was allegedly asked to remove her hijab before her photo could be taken to complete the registration process.
Additionally, the candidate was allegedly asked to provide written confirmation that she had fully refused to comply with the ear-visibility guideline.
The episode emphasises how difficult it is to implement biometric identity systems in a country as culturally and religiously diverse as Nigeria, where a lack of communication or inconsistent enforcement can quickly lead to controversy.
Compliance with international biometric standards
JAMB said in a statement on Saturday that its registration procedure complies with international biometric standards for passports and visas, which require the visibility of specific facial features, such as the ears, to ensure precise facial recognition.
“This requirement is purely technical and is intended to ensure that proper facial recognition and identification do not require the candidate to remove her hijab,” the examination body said.
According to JAMB, candidates are not obliged to remove their headscarves, and the rule is in place only to meet the technical requirements of biometric registration.
After a similar controversy involving a candidate who wore a hijab, the examination body declared in 2024 that it had no policy against candidates wearing religious clothing.