The Nigerian Government has proposed the establishment of a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal to facilitate the prompt prosecution of examination-related offences and serve as a deterrent to others.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made this known in Abuja while receiving the final report of a committee on improving the quality of examinations in Nigeria.
Dr Alausa endorsed the recommendations of the 17-member committee chaired by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), describing the proposals as practical steps toward enhancing the integrity of examinations in the country.
He assured the committee that all 12 recommendations would be implemented, stating:
“Let me assure the committee that your hard work is appreciated. Every single recommendation will be acted upon. They are all practicable, and those that can be implemented immediately will be.”
The committee, inaugurated in January, submitted its report after five months of extensive consultations and deliberations.
Among its recommendations was the call for the Federal Ministry of Education to work with the National Assembly to enact legislation establishing a dedicated Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal to expedite the prosecution of offenders.
The committee also proposed that examination documents such as certificates, registration slips, and result sheets include candidates’ National Identification Number (NIN), photograph, and date of birth to combat identity theft and impersonation.
It further recommended that all invigilators and supervisors be registered using their NIN and subscribe to an official examination body short code, similar to JAMB’s 55019/66019 system, to ensure traceability and accountability.
Beginning with the 2025 Private Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), the committee suggested the rotation of invigilators and supervisors, following concerns raised by the four examination bodies WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS against the practice of student swapping.
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Where possible, invigilators and supervisors should be public officials or qualified teachers on pensionable appointments.
Additionally, the standard requirements for examination halls should not be compromised, with seating arrangements providing at least 1.8 square metres per candidate.
The report also called for the installation of fixed CCTV cameras in all examination halls for real-time monitoring. Each centre should include a mini control room for surveillance alerts, and central monitoring facilities should be jointly owned by examination bodies to reduce costs.
The use of body cameras by invigilators and supervisors was also recommended to strengthen oversight.
Further, the committee proposed that each pupil generate a unique code linked to their NIN upon entry into basic education, to be used throughout their academic journey in Nigeria.
Noting the ineffective implementation of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act, the committee called for its immediate review, arguing that either a lack of political will or impracticality had hindered enforcement.
It also advocated the early adoption of Computer-Based Examinations (CBE) initially suggested for 2027 for multiple-choice questions in 2025 private exams and full deployment for school candidates by 2026.
Lastly, the committee raised concerns about the 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations, labelling it a source of corruption due to retrospective score entries. It called for an urgent review of the system by the relevant authorities.
