The Federal Government has announced plans to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court to ensure the swift prosecution of individuals involved in exam fraud and to deter the growing trend of academic dishonesty across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, confirmed this development following the submission of an interim report by a 17-member committee tasked with improving the quality of examinations in Nigeria.
The committee, inaugurated in January and chaired by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, presented its findings after nearly five months of deliberation.
Among the committee’s key recommendations was the proposal that the Federal Ministry of Education collaborate with the National Assembly to enact legislation for the creation of a National Examination Malpractice Court or Tribunal.
This would enable the prompt prosecution of offenders and act as a deterrent to potential exam cheats.
“All the 12 recommendations that you reeled out, everyone will agree with me today that none of those recommendations will be impossible to implement. They are all practicable things. The one that we will implement now, we will do that right away, and once we leave here, myself and the permanent Secretary have work to do,” Alausa stated in response to the report.
Other far-reaching recommendations made by the committee include the integration of the National Identification Number, photographs, and date of birth on all exam-related documents, including certificates, registration, and result slips, to prevent impersonation and identity theft.
Additionally, all exam supervisors and invigilators are to register through NIN and use designated short codes similar to JAMB’s 55019/66019 to ensure traceability. The committee also proposed the swapping of invigilators and supervisors instead of candidates, starting with the 2025 private Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, in light of security and logistical concerns raised by WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.
Other key proposals include the appointment of invigilators and supervisors strictly from among public officials or teachers on pensionable appointments, standardization of examination centre requirements without waivers, and the maintenance of a minimum seating space of 1.8 square metres per candidate.
Surveillance upgrades were also recommended, including the installation of stationary CCTV cameras in all exam centres and the establishment of mini control rooms for real-time monitoring. The committee further advised that the four national examination bodies jointly operate centralized monitoring facilities to reduce operational costs and recommended the use of body-worn cameras by monitoring personnel.
To ensure traceability from the start of formal education, the report proposed that each pupil generate a unique code linked to their NIN upon entry into basic school, which would follow them through their educational journey.
The committee also recommended reviewing the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act, which it criticized as either lacking the political will for implementation or being inherently unworkable in its current form.
On the transition to digital assessments, the committee called for the earlier-than-planned rollout of Computer-Based Examinations suggesting it begin with objective questions in the 2025 private examinations and be fully adopted for school candidates by 2026.
Finally, concerns were raised over the Continuous Assessment component of secondary school examinations, with the report describing the current 30 per cent input system as a “veritable source of corruption.” It urged the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council and relevant Federal Ministry of Education agencies to review and reform the system.
