The Federal Government has instructed major examination bodies, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), to blacklist all Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and candidates found guilty of examination malpractice.
Dr. Alausa emphasized that any school or CBT centre found to have facilitated examination malpractice or operated as a so-called “miracle centre” should be disqualified from hosting future examinations for a period to be determined by the concerned examination body. He further recommended that all examination bodies adopt a unified stance by concurrently derecognising such institutions once identified by any of them.
“This coordinated response will send a strong message to operators of miracle centres,” the minister stated. “Students involved in malpractice should also be barred from participating in any external examinations in Nigeria for a minimum of three years. This ban will be enforced through their National Identification Number (NIN) to prevent re-registration.”
He added that this action aligns with existing legal provisions, citing Section 16(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act, which empowers examination bodies to share the names of offenders whether candidates, officials, or centres—with sister agencies for joint sanctions.
JAMB had earlier revealed alarming findings during the release of the resit results for the 2025 UTME. According to the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the board uncovered what it described as “advanced malpractices” involving digital fraud.
He noted that some CBT centre owners, in collusion with others, engaged in activities such as hacking into CBT centre networks, using AI-powered photo manipulation to blend impersonators’ images with genuine candidates, registering multiple candidates with combined fingerprints, and illegally extending local area networks (LANs) to external locations.
Prof. Oloyede also highlighted the pairing of candidates with professional exam mercenaries and orchestrated disruptions to seating arrangements to enable impersonation. Disturbingly, a significant number of those involved were identified as current undergraduate students.
Over 3,000 candidates across the country have been identified as accomplices or beneficiaries of this elaborate examination fraud,” Oloyede stated. “Investigations are ongoing, and any candidate found culpable will have their results withdrawn, even if they had previously been released.”
The Education Ministry and examination bodies have reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the integrity of Nigeria’s assessment systems and implementing strict measures to deter future malpractice.
