For years, examination malpractice has cast a long shadow over the credibility of Nigeria’s secondary school education system, raising concerns about academic standards, student integrity and the value of certificates.
In 2022, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), had a 22.83 percent exam malpractice record; the following year, WAEC recorded 16.29 percent malpractice out of over 1.6 million candidates who sat the examination.
The decline was also noticed in 2024, with 11.92 percent involved in exam malpractice, which is a 4.37 percent decline compared to the previous year.
The trend continued in 2025, with a 9.75 percent exam malpractice rate out of the over 1.9 million candidates registered. In 2026, the exam malpractice incidents amounted to 8.59 percent of the about two million candidates who sat the exam.
When compared to the previous year, that is a 1.16 percent drop.
In the National Examinations Council (NECO), there was 0.13 percent exam malpractice in 2022, with 13,594 people involved, while in 2023, the record dropped to 0.07 percent.
In 2024, 8,437 people, as against 12,030 in 2023, were involved in exam malpractice (0.0061percent), which amounts to a 30.1 percent drop, while 3,878 candidates were involved in malpractice in 2025, and 1,496 candidates in 2026.
Behind the numbers is a story of changing examination practices, increased use of technology, tougher monitoring and sanctions, and efforts by schools to rebuild a culture in which academic achievement is valued over shortcuts.
What is driving Nigeria’s exam malpractice decline?
Moyo Adesina, the WAEC spokesperson, told BusinessDay that the council, in addition to serialisation and digitalisation of examinations, embarked on sensitisation on the negative impacts of examination malpractice across many schools.
Besides, she said that WAEC has in place a cyber-team that monitors its examinations and is taking punitive actions against roadside operators and individuals aiding examination malpractice in Nigeria.
According to Adesina, WAEC has an increased focus on improving invigilator training to ensure proper supervision, which entails enhanced supervision and monitoring, identified as a key strategy, supported by a significant percentage of respondents.
‘WAEC has intensified its collaboration with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, to track down and prosecute individuals involved in malpractice, as well as rogue website operators who falsely claim access to leaked examination materials.
‘Nationwide sensitisation campaigns through seminars, flyers, posters, and banners are also being deployed to educate candidates, school authorities, and parents on the dangers and consequences of examination malpractice,’ she stated.
Moreover, she said the council embarked on the use of different examination centres, rather than allowing schools to write exams in their own facilities, to reduce malpractice; besides, changing questions for each geopolitical zone and randomising the objective questions.
Dantani Wushishi, the NECO registrar, attributed the exam malpractice decline to the vigilance and support of security agencies, particularly the NSCDC and DSS.
Tech as an unseen enabler
Some stakeholders believe that the apparent decline must be carefully examined, as technology may also be giving malpractice new and less visible forms.
Akintunde Opawole, a data-AI product expert, emphasised that technology has made exam malpractice quieter, smaller and harder to spot.
He noted that the old image of a student copying from a neighbour or hiding a sheet of paper in a sleeve is outdated. Multiple-choice exams such as WAEC and NECO are especially exposed, because each answer is a single letter.
‘A student only needs to receive one letter per question, and that can be done with very little tech, such as AI smart glasses, miniature earpieces, smartwatches, and other wearables, and paid online solvers and AI tools, among others.
‘AI smart glasses with a built-in camera and AI assistant can capture a question, process it, and return the answer through a tiny speaker near the ear or a display in the lens. They look like ordinary eyewear, which makes them very hard for an invigilator to question,’ he said.
Opawole pointed out that some earpieces are small enough to sit deep in the ear canal and are nearly invisible.
‘A helper outside the hall, or someone with the answers, can read them out in real time,’ he noted.
Moreover, he revealed that a tech-enabled impersonation such as deepfakes, edited photos and forged identity documents can be used to have someone else sit the exam, especially where identity checks are weak.
‘These methods work mostly because our exam systems still rely on a model built for a pre-smartphone era,’ he said.
What can be done
Opawole calls for a ban on all wearables, including watches and glasses, in exam halls, and train invigilators to recognise smart eyewear.
‘The examiners should use metal and signal detectors at entry points, as is done in several other countries. Print different versions of the same paper, with shuffled question and option order, so that shared answers become useless.
‘Move gradually towards computer-based testing in secure centres, with randomised questions for each candidate. Over time, redesign assessments to test reasoning and application, so that a single letter answer carries less weight,’ he said.
In addition, he said, ‘Technology created this problem, and technology can also help solve it. But the biggest fix is a mix of better systems, stronger enforcement and a culture that rewards honest effort.’
Boye Ogundele, a parent, believes the exam bodies have started blocking the loopholes in the area of exam leaks.
‘If they can tackle the issue of cyber malpractice, definitely they will achieve more,’ he noted.
Susan Olarenwaju, a teacher, said that the notable reduction in examination malpractice recorded by national examination agencies in recent years is due to a combination of enhanced technological measures, stricter enforcement of penalties, and increased collaboration with security agencies.