The Federal Government has announced a stringent new measure to combat the rising menace of examination malpractice in Nigeria’s education sector. Any student caught cheating in public examinations such as those conducted by WAEC, NECO, and JAMB will now face a minimum three-year ban from taking any external examination in the country.
This directive was issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, who emphasized the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) system to enforce the ban across all examination bodies.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Public Communication Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), disclosed this in a statement titled “Ministerial Directive Regarding the Menace of ‘Miracle Centres’ in the Education Sector at Secondary School Level.”
According to the directive, any school or Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre found to be involved in examination malpractice—popularly known as miracle centres—will be derecognised by all examination bodies for a period to be determined by the sanctioning body. The move is aimed at creating a uniform punishment system to deter institutional malpractice.
“In accordance with Sections 5(1)(c)(v) and 6 of the JAMB Act, the Hon. Minister of Education has directed that such centres, once blacklisted by one examination body, should automatically be derecognised by others,” the statement read.
It further stated that the punishment for candidates involved in malpractice is supported by Section 16(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act of 1999, which allows examination bodies to circulate names of offending individuals and institutions for cross-sanctioning.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice. In a separate statement, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, expressed deep concern over the persistent erosion of academic integrity, warning that it threatens Nigeria’s human capital development.
“In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry is committed to eradicating all forms of examination malpractice,” Boriowo said.
She announced that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other agencies, would actively pursue the prosecution of all offenders using the full weight of the law.
Calling on parents, teachers, students, and stakeholders to join the effort, Boriowo urged Nigerians to report any suspected cases of malpractice, emphasizing the government’s commitment to preserving merit and credibility in the nation’s education system.
“This is a national call to action. The integrity of our examinations must not be compromised,” she concluded.
