Vicroria Mbangwa
In a bold move to restore integrity and credibility to Nigeria’s examination system, the Federal Government has endorsed a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at tackling the deep-rooted menace of exam malpractice.
At the heart of the reforms is a proposal to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal, designed to ensure swift prosecution of offenders and serve as a deterrent to would-be cheats.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Friday in Abuja during the official presentation of a report by a 17-member committee tasked with improving examination standards in the country.
The committee, chaired by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), spent five months drafting a 12-point recommendation that the Minister has promised to fully implement.
“Let me assure all the committee members that you have done so much work here and all the recommendations you have given us as a government, we will implement every single one of them,” Alausa said.
Among the committee’s proposals is the mandatory integration of the National Identification Number (NIN), passport photographs, and date of birth on all candidate documents including registration forms, certificates, and result slips to combat impersonation and identity fraud.
The recommendations also call for stricter monitoring of exam personnel. All supervisors and invigilators would be required to register using their NIN and subscribe to an SMS tracking system, similar to JAMB’s 55019/66019 system, to ensure accountability. Additionally, invigilators would be rotated regularly to prevent collusion, with the policy starting from the 2025 private Senior School Certificate Examinations.
To further tighten security, the committee proposed mandatory CCTV installation in all examination halls, each linked to a mini control room for real-time surveillance. Body camcorders may also be introduced for ground-level monitoring.
Another major recommendation includes the shift toward Computer-Based Testing (CBT), which the committee suggests should begin with objective questions in 2025 private exams, extending to full implementation for school candidates by 2026.
The committee also flagged the Continuous Assessment (CA) system as a loophole for corruption, urging an immediate review of the process, citing manipulation of scores submitted in arrears.
“The 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations has become a veritable source of corruption in the examination system due to the fraudulent process of inputting the scores in arrears.” the report noted.
Additionally, the committee advocated for the early integration of pupils into a national education identity system. Every child, upon entry into basic school, would generate a unique educational code linked to their NIN, creating a lifelong traceable academic footprint.
The call for a review of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act was another highlight of the report. The committee pointed out that the law has remained largely unimplemented, citing either a lack of political will or practical challenges.
Dr. Alausa affirmed the government’s resolve to act swiftly on all recommendations and emphasized that improving examination credibility is a critical step toward improving the quality of education in Nigeria.
