The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal to ensure the swift prosecution of examination offenders and deter would-be cheats. The announcement was made on Saturday by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, during a session in which he received the report of a 17-member committee tasked with improving the quality and integrity of public examinations.
The committee, chaired by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), presented a 12-point proposal after five months of extensive review. Dr Alausa endorsed every recommendation, assuring committee members that the government would “implement every single one of them” without delay.
“You have done exemplary work,” Dr Alausa declared. “All 12 recommendations are practicable. Those that can be enacted immediately will be implemented right away.”
Among the key recommendations is direct engagement with the National Assembly to enact a law establishing the National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal. This specialised body would expedite the trial of examination infractions such as impersonation, question paper theft, and result-alteration, thereby serving as a powerful deterrent.
Another major proposal calls for stringent identification measures: all examination documents, including certificates, registration slips and result notifications, must display a candidate’s National Identification Number (NIN), photograph and date of birth. This, the committee argues, will significantly reduce instances of identity theft.
To tighten oversight at examination centres, the committee further recommended that:
Invigilators and Supervisors Register via NIN: All invigilators and supervisors must register using their NIN and subscribe to an approved short-code payment platform—mirroring JAMB’s 55019/66019 system—to enable full tracking of examination officials.
End of Student Swapping by 2025 Private SSCE: From the 2025 private Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) onwards, swapping of invigilators and supervisors should cease, following strong objections from WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS. Where swapping is unavoidable, only public officials or pensionable teachers may fill such roles.
Examination Centre Standards: Examination halls must meet minimum standards at all times. Seating arrangements should adhere to 1.5 m × 1.2 m spacing (1.8 sq m per candidate), and no waivers should be granted to substandard facilities.
Surveillance Measures: Every examination hall and centre is to be equipped with stationary CCTV cameras, monitored via an on-site mini control room for real-time surveillance. Additionally, examination bodies are urged to establish and share central control facilities to cut costs, and to deploy body-worn cameras for invigilators.
On the educational front, the committee proposed that, upon entry into basic school, every pupil must generate a unique code linked to his or her NIN. This identifier would remain associated with the student throughout their academic journey, safeguarding against identity fraud at every level.
Highlighting legislative reform, Prof. Oloyede’s panel pointed out that the laissez-faire attitude toward the existing 1999 Examination Malpractice Act suggests either insufficient political will or impracticability. Consequently, they recommended a thorough review of the Act to render it actionable in the short term.
In an effort to modernise testing, the committee also urged the immediate introduction of Computer-Based Examinations (CBE) for objective questions in the 2025 private examinations, with full implementation for school candidates by 2026. This, they maintain, will greatly reduce paper leaks and answer forgery.
Lastly, the panel criticised the 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in the SSCE, describing it as a conduit for corruption due to the retroactive input of scores. They therefore demanded an urgent review of the Continuous Assessment System by the relevant agencies to restore credibility.
Dr Alausa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to deploying all available resources—legal, technological and administrative—to combat examination malpractice and enhance the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
“Let me assure every Nigerian student: cheating will no longer be tolerated,” he added. “We are resolved to protect the integrity of our educational institutions.”
The committee’s final recommendations are slated to be tabled before the Federal Executive Council in the coming weeks for consideration and eventual implementation.
Editor’s Note: The proposed tribunal will be a specialised arm of the judiciary, empowered to hear and determine all cases of examination malpractice within 90 days of arraignment. Its establishment is intended to complement existing efforts by examination bodies such as WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB to safeguard the sanctity of public examinations.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.