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The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has revealed how candidates allegedly obtained National Examinations Council (NECO) questions for N3,000 before examinations, describing the scale of malpractice in Nigeria as “mind-boggling.”
Alausa made the disclosure on Thursday during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other education stakeholders, where he warned against practices capable of undermining the integrity of public examinations.
The minister said examination malpractice had been tolerated for years, creating a system where students who genuinely prepared for their examinations could be disadvantaged by candidates who accessed questions before the papers were written.
He said the situation posed an even greater danger because honest students could eventually be compelled to cheat in order to compete with those benefiting from examination leakages.
“It’s sad. Before she (Minister of State for Education) and I came, the acceptance of examination malpractice, cheating and examination leakages in this country was mind-boggling, and the country accepted it. It was a nightmare,” Alausa said.
He added that the most worrying consequence was that “the good students would also become bad.”
Recounting his experience in efforts to tackle examination malpractice, Alausa alleged that examination questions had previously been obtained and sold before candidates sat for their papers.
The minister recalled an incident involving the then NECO Registrar, Ibrahim Wushishi, saying some individuals used the name “Wushishi” as a reference to a dark website where examination questions could allegedly be purchased.
“They bought his question for N3,000. That was it. Before the examination. They called him Wushishi and bought the questions for N3,000 before the examination,” he said.
Alausa also recounted what he described as a troubling experience during the 2025 examination period, when he regularly received examination questions allegedly obtained before candidates sat for their papers.
He said officials had to verify the authenticity of the questions with examination authorities, sometimes discovering that the materials being circulated were indeed the questions scheduled for that day.
“During that examination period, during the hardest time of my life, I was always worried, waking up. I would wake up to her text. She would send questions to me… She would say, ‘I just got this question,’” he said.
According to the minister, the leaked materials covered subjects including English and Chemistry, prompting him to contact examination officials for verification.
“I would send it to the HNO and ask, ‘HNO, is this correct?’ And the answer I got was, ‘Unfortunately, that’s the question we’re doing today,’” he said.
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Alausa said the experience demonstrated that examination malpractice could not be treated solely as a problem caused by students, arguing that the entire education ecosystem must take responsibility for preventing cheating.
He identified parents, school proprietors, teachers, principals and invigilators among those whose actions could either strengthen or undermine examination integrity.
“You might be in that isolated school, but the school system is also involved. In fact, I don’t blame the students that much. Any child can be bad,” the minister said.
“But when we have an ecosystem where parents, schools, teachers, invigilators and principals are in full connivance, the students are the smallest players. The people who should put the deterrents in place are the ones involved.”
He said the Federal Government would intensify measures to prevent examination question leakages and other forms of malpractice, stressing that academic qualifications must reflect genuine knowledge and ability.
The minister linked the reforms to President Bola Tinubu’s broader efforts to improve standards in Nigeria’s education sector.
“This is a country with the rule of law. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is transforming this country in a way that’s never been transformed before. This is Nigeria’s renaissance that we’re building to be sustainable into the future,” he said.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, also urged private school proprietors to support the government’s efforts to strengthen examination controls.
Ahmad said tighter examination procedures could initially reveal gaps in students’ actual academic preparation, particularly among candidates who had become accustomed to relying on leaked questions.
She said the use of serialised examination questions would make it more difficult for candidates to depend on leaked materials and encourage them to prepare genuinely for examinations.
The minister also urged schools to complete their curricula within the required timeframe and encourage students to study consistently.
The Federal Government’s renewed campaign against malpractice comes amid persistent concerns over question-paper leakages, impersonation, collusion and unauthorised assistance during public examinations.
Alausa said the government was determined to restore confidence in Nigeria’s examination system and ensure that students who prepare and compete honestly are not disadvantaged.
