The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has raised the alarm over the depth of examination malpractice in Nigeria, revealing that some National Examinations Council questions were allegedly sold for as little as N3,000 before candidates sat for the examinations.
Alausa made the disclosure on Thursday while addressing members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other stakeholders in the education sector.
The minister described the longstanding practice of examination malpractice, cheating and question leakage in the country as alarming, warning that it could undermine the future of students who genuinely prepare for their examinations.
According to him, widespread access to leaked examination questions could also compel hardworking students to embrace malpractice simply to remain competitive with candidates who had obtained examination materials illegally.
Recalling his experience in the fight against examination malpractice, Alausa said some individuals had previously been able to obtain NECO questions before the scheduled examination for a fee.
He said, “Before the examination, they bought the questions for N3,000. That was it. They bought the questions for N3,000 before the examination.”
The minister also recounted what he described as a disturbing experience during the 2025 examination period, when he frequently received examination questions allegedly obtained before candidates were due to sit for the papers.
He said the authorities were sometimes forced to verify the materials with examination officials, only to discover that the questions in circulation were genuine papers scheduled for that particular day.
Alausa stressed that examination malpractice should not be viewed solely as a problem caused by students, arguing that parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals and invigilators also had a major role to play.
He said an environment where adults colluded to facilitate cheating left students as the least responsible participants in a system that should ordinarily protect the integrity of examinations.
The minister warned that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen measures aimed at preventing question leakages and other forms of examination malpractice.
He said the reforms were designed to ensure that academic certificates reflected students’ actual knowledge and abilities rather than their access to leaked examination materials.
Alausa linked the reforms to the broader efforts of the President Bola Tinubu administration to improve standards in the education sector and build a system capable of producing competent graduates.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, also urged private school proprietors to support the government’s efforts to restore credibility to public examinations.
Ahmad noted that stronger examination controls could initially reveal gaps in the academic performance of some students who had previously benefited from leaked questions.
She said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make it more difficult for candidates to obtain or circulate leaked papers, while encouraging students to prepare adequately for their examinations.
The minister further urged schools to ensure that their curricula were completed on time and that students were encouraged to maintain regular study habits.
She assured private education stakeholders that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to engage them as the examination reforms were implemented.
The government’s renewed stance comes amid persistent concerns over examination malpractice in Nigeria, including question-paper leakage, impersonation, collusion and unauthorised assistance to candidates.
The authorities maintain that tightening examination procedures is necessary to protect students who compete fairly and restore confidence in the credibility of Nigeria’s educational qualifications.