The university of Lagos has held its 2025/2026 Post-UTME online screening exercise, but reports of malpractice and tech issues have caused a sensitive debate between candidates and parents.
According to the university, over 20,000 applicants took part in the exercise, which relies on artificial intelligence to monitor behavior. UNILAG stated that any applicant discovered or confirmed to have committed malpractice would be denied admission.
Many students, on the other hand, expressed concern after receiving automated emails stating they were “ineligible for admission,” claiming they were flagged due to technical issues (bad lighting, background noise, lost internet connection). One candidate with a high JAMB score described the notification as “emotionally traumatizing.”
University officials clarified that these notifications of “ineligibility for admission” are not final decisions, but rather flags for further review. They assured that only disqualified candidates would face penalties if they were found to have cheated, and that any candidates who were cleared would go through the screening process normally.
They advised all applicants to only use their institution’s official communication channels for updates, and they made it clear that they would not tolerate misinformation or outside influence in the admissions process.
According to observers, the confusion highlights both an advantage and a disadvantage of using AI-based monitoring in examinations. The technology provides oversight, increases the likelihood of malpractice avoidance, and improves verification effectiveness for administering institutions. The technological constraints may also cause unnecessary anxiety for candidates who are honest.
Stakeholders in education are calling on universities to approach communication issues with candidates more effectively, and to make the review process clearer in terms of transparency when dealing with flagged candidates. They claimed mistakes could erode public confidence in the use of digital means of assessment at a time when many institutions are moving away from in-person examinations.
The decision of UNILAG regarding its flagged candidates, will likely determine how this year’s admissions process not only handles discernments of flagged candidates, but how other Nigerian universities review the potential use of technology in future Post-UTME processes.