Federal Government has announced fresh measures aimed at curbing examination malpractice in examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), beginning from 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a briefing alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed.
According to the Minister, the new measures are designed to restore credibility and public confidence in Nigeria’s examination system.
In a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, the reforms are expected to strengthen transparency and oversight across all stages of national examinations.
Dr. Alausa explained that key strategies include the deployment of technology-driven solutions, stricter administrative controls, and enhanced monitoring mechanisms.
One of the major innovations is question randomisation and serialisation, which will ensure that candidates answer the same questions but in different sequences and formats. This, he said, would guarantee that each candidate sits for a unique version of the examination, thereby reducing collusion and cheating.
The Minister also reiterated the Federal Government’s ban on student transfers at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level, warning that the policy would now be strictly enforced to prevent last-minute school changes often associated with examination malpractice.
He further announced that new national guidelines for Continuous Assessment (CA) have been approved for immediate implementation. Under the guidelines, examination bodies are mandated to adhere to fixed submission timelines for assessment records across the three academic terms.
In addition, the Federal Government plans to introduce a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates to enhance accountability and enable effective tracking of performance throughout the examination process.
Dr. Alausa assured stakeholders of closer supervision of examination administration and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with examination bodies, state governments, schools, parents, and candidates to ensure the smooth conduct of the 2026 examination Nationwide.
RN
