The Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has warned parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against examination malpractice, which threatens the quality of education delivery in the country.
He, however, announced measures by the Federal Government to strengthen examination integrity, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to restoring standards and repositioning Nigeria’s education system.
The Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Mr. Ikharo Attah, said in a statement on Thursday that Alausa gave the warning at a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and other stakeholders in the education sector.
He said examination malpractice had become deeply entrenched, creating an unfair environment for students who prepare honestly for their examinations.
He noted that the practice not only distorts results but also disadvantages hardworking students and undermines confidence in the qualifications awarded by the nation’s education system.
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, therefore, called on parents, teachers, proprietors, principals, invigilators and other stakeholders to uphold examination rules, provide the right learning environment and discourage practices that give candidates unfair access to examination materials.
Alausa said the Federal Government was strengthening examination administration to make public examinations more secure and ensure that results reflect genuine learning and merit.
He added that the measures form part of the wider education sector reforms of the Tinubu administration, aimed at improving standards, strengthening accountability and rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s assessment system.
Alausa assured stakeholders that the Federal 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.
Also speaking, 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.
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.
She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that examination results provide a credible measure of students’ knowledge and abilities.