The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a disturbing trend of tertiary institutions admitting students with fraudulent Advanced Level (A’Level) results without proper verification.
In its latest bulletin, released on March 17, 2025, in Abuja, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, revealed that thirteen more fake A’Level certificates were recently discovered, with some institutions already processing admissions for candidates using these forged documents.
JAMB has referred the affected candidates to law enforcement for prosecution and issued a stern warning to institutions, urging them to verify credentials and uphold the integrity of the admission process.
JAMB’s Warning to Institutions
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has observed that some institutions are failing to verify the results used for admitting candidates, particularly those seeking direct entry.
One of the fundamental purposes of screening is to ensure that only legitimate documents are accepted for admission and registration. It is crucial for institutions to understand that this responsibility lies primarily with them.”
Widespread Forgery in Higher Education
The issue of fake A’Level results first gained national attention two years ago when Bayero University, Kano (BUK), uncovered that only 6 out of 148 A’Level results submitted for verification were genuine. This exposed the depth of forgery in Nigeria’s higher education system.
To combat this, JAMB introduced the Nigeria Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (NIPEDS) to verify A’Level qualifications, including foreign-issued certificates. Since its inception, NIPEDS has flagged numerous fraudulent certificates, with some foreign institutions confirming cases of forgery by Nigerian candidates.
Forgery at an Unprecedented Scale
The bulletin further warned:
“Recently, thirteen additional A’Level certificates were identified as fake after being submitted for admission consideration, with some institutions already proposing the candidates for admission. The candidates involved have been referred for prosecution.
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“Consequently, institutions that propose candidates for admission using fake certificates will be viewed as accomplices in this fraudulent activity.”
One of the most shocking cases of forgery involved candidates submitting fake Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examination (IJMBE) results from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in an attempt to gain admission into ABU itself.
Crackdown on Academic Fraud
While NIPEDS plays a crucial role in detecting fake credentials, JAMB stressed that institutions must not rely solely on the system but conduct independent verification of every A’Level qualification submitted, regardless of the issuing institution.
With this intensified crackdown, JAMB is sending a clear message: there is no room for fraud in Nigeria’s education system. Institutions must take responsibility for due diligence or risk being labeled as enablers of academic fraud.