The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Thursday held a high-level meeting with the Registrars of JAMB, NECO, the Head of the National Office for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the ministry to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s examination system.
Speaking at the meeting which focused on devising strategies to improve the quality of examinations in the country, the minister emphasized the government’s unwavering stance on zero tolerance for examination malpractice, asserting the need to protect the sanctity of all examinations.
According to him, the government is committed to upholding the integrity of high-stakes and achievement exams conducted by NECO and WAEC, as well as placement exams administered by JAMB.
During the meeting, the minister announced that a committee had been established to address key issues, including exam leakages, identity theft, fraud, and improving supervision. The committee will be formally inaugurated in January 2025.
A statement issued by the ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, indicated that one of the key decisions taken at the meeting was the transition of all examinations (achievement and placement) into a Computer-Based Testing (CBT) platform within the next three years, ensuring a more secure and efficient examination process.
The minister was quoted as saying that “this is a significant step towards building a robust and credible examination system for Nigeria” and that the government is “moving swiftly to protect the future of our education system and ensure that our students’ achievements are recognized fairly and accurately.”
On the issue of examination malpractice, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed deep concern over the prevalence of such unethical practices in Nigeria’s educational system.
She highlighted such alarming practices as students pooling funds to access leaked answers via WhatsApp and schools bribing officials to enable cheating, stressing that these acts undermine the credibility of assessments and compromise the moral and academic development of students.
Ahmad reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to enforcing strict measures to combat malpractice, ensure accountability, and uphold the integrity of the nation’s examination system, charging all stakeholders in the education sector to work together in restoring fairness and transparency.
Analysts believe that if these measures are put in place, Nigeria will be positioned to strengthen the credibility of its educational system and set a new standard for examination security.
