JAMB clarifies biometric rule after UTME hijab dispute

Nigeria’s university admissions body has said its biometric rules—not religion—are behind a viral dispute over a candidate’s hijab during registration for the country’s most important entrance exam into tertiary institutions.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which administers the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for millions of candidates annually, said requests for candidates to adjust their hijabs or other head coverings during registration are strictly a technical requirement for biometric photo capture, not a religious restriction.

This clarification follows a viral social media video, alleging that a candidate at a JAMB registration centre at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Southern Nigeria, was asked to remove her hijab before her photograph could be taken to complete her registration. 

According to the claim, the candidate was also asked to confirm in writing that she declined to fully comply with the ear-visibility guideline.
The episode highlights the tension with implementing biometric identity systems in a deeply cultural and religeous clime like Nigeria, where inconsistent enforcement or weak communication can quickly spark controversy.

In a statement on Saturday,  JAMB said its registration process aligns with global biometric standards used for passports and visas, which require certain facial features—including the ears—to be visible to ensure accurate 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.

JAMB said candidates are not required to remove their hijabs, and that the guideline exists solely to meet the technical demands of biometric registration.

In 2024, the examination body said it had no policy prohibiting candidates from wearing religious attire, following a similar controversy involving a hijab-wearing candidate.