The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has warned parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against examination malpractice, stressing that the Federal Government is determined to restore integrity and credibility to Nigeria’s public examination system.
According to Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser on Media and Communications in a Statement, Alausa issued the warning on Thursday 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 in the country’s education system, creating an unfair environment for students who prepare honestly for their examinations.
According to him, the practice not only distorts examination results but also disadvantages hardworking students and undermines public confidence in qualifications awarded by the nation’s educational institutions.
The minister said tackling examination malpractice required collective responsibility, noting that students were not the only actors involved in the practice.
He urged parents, teachers, proprietors, principals, invigilators and other stakeholders to comply with examination rules, provide conducive learning environments 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 accurately reflected genuine learning and merit.
He explained that the measures were part of the broader education reforms of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at improving standards, strengthening accountability and rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s assessment system.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, also called on private school proprietors and other stakeholders to support the reforms.
She noted that stronger examination controls could initially expose gaps in students’ actual preparation, particularly among candidates who had become accustomed to accessing leaked questions before external examinations.
Ahmad said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make reliance on leaked materials more difficult and encourage students to prepare genuinely for examinations.
She urged schools to complete their curricula on schedule and encourage students to study consistently, assuring private education stakeholders that the Ministry would continue to engage with and support them during the implementation of the reforms.
According to her, the ultimate objective is to ensure that examination results serve as credible measures of students’ knowledge and abilities.
Alausa further assured stakeholders that the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with private schools, examination bodies and other partners to strengthen the credibility of the country’s examination system.
He said the Tinubu administration remained committed to protecting genuine learners and building an education system where academic qualifications are earned through knowledge, hard work and merit.
