The Nigerian government says it is strengthening the administration of public examinations to improve security, curb malpractice and ensure that results accurately reflect students’ learning and academic merit.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and other education stakeholders.
Alausa said examination malpractice undermines the credibility of the education system and creates an unfair advantage for students who prepare honestly for their examinations.
“The practice not only distorts results but is also disadvantageous to hardworking students and undermines confidence in the qualifications awarded by the nation’s education system,” he said.
The Minister stressed that tackling the problem requires collective responsibility across the education system, noting that students are not the only actors involved in examination malpractice.
He added that the measures form part of the wider education sector reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration aimed at improving standards, strengthening accountability and rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s assessment system.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Said Ahmad, urged private school proprietors and other stakeholders to support the reforms, noting that stronger examination controls could initially expose gaps in students’ actual preparation.
She explained that some students who perform exceptionally well in internal examinations may have become accustomed to accessing leaked questions ahead of external examinations, leaving them less prepared when such avenues are closed.
Prof Ahmad said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make reliance on leaked materials more difficult and reinforce the need for students to prepare genuinely for examinations.
She urged schools to complete the curriculum on schedule and encourage consistent study, while assuring private education stakeholders that the Ministry would continue to engage with and support them throughout the implementation of the reforms.
“The ultimate goal is to ensure that examination results provide a credible measure of students’ knowledge and abilities,” she said.
Alausa assured stakeholders that the Nigerian government would continue to work with private schools, examination bodies and other partners to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
He said the administration remained committed to protecting the interests of genuine learners and building an education system where academic qualifications are earned through knowledge, hard work and merit.
