Assessment of the Effectiveness of Biometric Authentication in Tertiary Institutions in Kwara State

Biometric authentication systems deployed for student verification in Nigerian tertiary institutions are intended to reduce examination fraud and attendance manipulation, yet their security effectiveness and implementation quality require contextual assessment. This study assessed the effectiveness and security of biometric authentication systems at the University of Ilorin and Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. A mixed-methods design combined a technical review of the deployed systems at both institutions with surveys of 200 students and 30 ICT administrators. Effectiveness dimensions assessed included accuracy rates, enrolment success, spoofing resistance, system downtime, and user satisfaction. Results showed that fingerprint matching false rejection rates averaged 8.4 percent, causing significant inconvenience. False acceptance rates, assessed through a controlled spoofing test using printed fingerprint replicas, were 3.7 percent. System downtime exceeded one week per term in 46.7 percent of administrator reports. Only 31.5 percent of students considered the system reliable. Neither institution employed liveness detection on their fingerprint scanners. Data encryption for stored biometric templates was confirmed in only one of the two institutions. The study concludes that biometric systems in the surveyed institutions have significant security and reliability gaps. Recommendations include liveness detection upgrade, end-to-end biometric data encryption, and annual penetration testing of authentication systems to identify exploitable weaknesses.

Keywords: biometric authentication, fingerprint recognition, spoofing resistance, tertiary institutions, Kwara State