The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has warned parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against examination malpractice, saying the Federal Government is taking steps to restore integrity and credibility to Nigeria’s public examination system.
Alausa issued the warning during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and other education stakeholders.
According to the minister, examination malpractice has become deeply entrenched in the country’s education system, creating an unfair advantage for students who engage in the practice while disadvantaging those who prepare honestly.
He said malpractice not only distorts examination results but also undermines confidence in academic qualifications awarded within the Nigerian education system.
Alausa stressed that tackling examination malpractice required collective responsibility, noting that students were not the only participants in practices that compromise examination integrity.
He urged parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals and invigilators to uphold examination rules, provide appropriate learning environments and discourage any practice that gives candidates unfair access to examination materials.
Federal Government moves to strengthen examination integrity
The minister said the Federal Government was strengthening examination administration to make public examinations more secure and ensure that results accurately reflect students’ knowledge, preparation and merit.
He added that the measures were part of the wider education reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration aimed at improving standards, strengthening accountability and rebuilding public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment system.
The minister said the government remained committed to protecting students who earn their results through hard work and ensuring that academic qualifications maintain their credibility.
Serialised questions to tackle examination malpractice
The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Said Ahmad, also urged private school proprietors and other stakeholders to support the ongoing reforms.
Ahmad said stronger examination controls could initially expose gaps in the preparation of some students who had become accustomed to accessing leaked examination questions before sitting external examinations.
She explained that the introduction of serialised examination questions would make it more difficult for candidates to rely on leaked materials during examinations.
According to her, the measure would encourage students to prepare genuinely rather than depend on examination malpractice.
The minister of state urged schools to complete their curricula on schedule and encourage students to study consistently ahead of external examinations.
She assured private education stakeholders that the Ministry of Education would continue to engage with and support them as the reforms are implemented.
Government targets credible examination results
Ahmad said the ultimate objective of the reforms was to ensure that examination results provided a credible assessment of students’ knowledge and abilities.
Alausa similarly assured stakeholders that the Federal Government would continue working with private schools, examination bodies and other partners to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
He said the administration was determined to build an education system where academic qualifications are earned through knowledge, hard work and merit, rather than examination malpractice.
The warning comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to address challenges affecting the credibility of public examinations and strengthen standards across Nigeria’s education sector.
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