The Federal Government has proposed the establishment of a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal to enable the prompt prosecution of examination-related offences, aiming to deter academic dishonesty and strengthen the integrity of the nation’s education system.

 

The proposal was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in Abuja while receiving the report of a high-level committee tasked with improving the quality of examinations in Nigeria.

 

The 17-member committee, chaired by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), was inaugurated in January and submitted its report after five months of in-depth review and consultations.

 

Dr. Alausa commended the committee’s efforts and pledged full implementation of all 12 recommendations contained in the report.

 

“Let me assure all committee members that every single recommendation you have made will be implemented. These are practical and actionable steps, and we will deploy all necessary government machinery to combat examination malpractice,” he said.

 

One of the major recommendations includes working with the National Assembly to enact legislation for the creation of a National Examination Malpractice Tribunal, which would facilitate swift justice for offenders.

 

The committee also recommended several reforms to tighten security and accountability in the examination process:

 

Mandatory inclusion of National Identification Number (NIN), photographs, and date of birth on all candidate documents, including certificates, registration forms, and result slips.

 

All invigilators and supervisors must register through NIN and subscribe to a unified short code system, similar to JAMB’s 55019/66019, for easy tracking.

 

Swapping of invigilators and supervisors should begin with the 2025 private Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), responding to concerns from major exam bodies—WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.

 

Invigilators and supervisors should, wherever possible, be public officials or teachers with pensionable appointments.

 

Examination halls must adhere to standard spatial requirements of 1.5m x 1.2m (or 1.8 sqm) per candidate.

 

All centres must be equipped with stationary CCTV cameras, along with mini control rooms for real-time monitoring and alert systems.

 

 

Additionally, the report calls for joint ownership of central control facilities by all examination bodies to reduce costs and enhance surveillance. The use of body camcorders for invigilators was also recommended to ensure real-time recording of exam sessions.

 

The committee proposed that all pupils generate a unique education code linked to their NIN at the point of entry into basic education. This code would follow them throughout their academic journey in Nigeria to curb impersonation and identity theft.

 

The report also highlighted the non-implementation of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act, attributing it to either political inaction or impracticality. A comprehensive review of the Act was recommended to make it enforceable.

 

In a bold reform move, the committee advised that Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for objective questions be introduced in the 2025 private examinations, with full implementation for school candidates by 2026.

 

It further called for an immediate overhaul of the current Continuous Assessment (CA) system, describing the existing 30% CA input in SSCEs as highly susceptible to corruption due to the fraudulent backdating of scores.

 

The Minister affirmed the government’s commitment to improving examination integrity, saying that the implementation of these recommendations marks a significant step toward restoring credibility in Nigeria’s education system.