Federal Government Moves to Tackle Exam Fraud With Tough New Tribunal Plan

Federal Government Moves to Tackle Exam Fraud With Tough New Tribunal Plan

Federal Government of Nigeria have taken a bold step to stop the rising wave of cheating during school exams. A new plan is now on the table — one that could change how exam fraud is handled across Nigeria.

A special tribunal or court is being proposed to focus only on exam malpractice cases. This new court would handle the cases fast and give strict punishments. It’s expected to scare others from doing the same.

Dr. Olatunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, shared this plan after getting a report from a committee. This 17-person committee was led by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who also heads the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The committee worked for nearly five months and gave the Minister their first report on how to make exams better and safer from fraud. One of their top ideas was to create a special court that would deal only with cheating in exams.

Professor Oloyede’s group wants the Ministry of Education to work with lawmakers in the National Assembly. Together, they would pass a law to set up this court. The aim is to punish people who cheat or help others cheat during exams, and make sure students take their education seriously.

In response, Minister Alausa promised to support every idea in the report.

“Let me assure all the committee members that you have done so much work here and all the recommendations you have given us as a government, we will implement every single one of them because you put a lot of your passion, emotion, weight, effort into this,” he said.

He praised the report and said that all 12 suggestions can and will be acted upon.

“All the 12 recommendations that you reeled out, everyone will agree with me today that none of those recommendations, will be impossible to implement. They are all practicable things. The one that we will implement now, we will do that right away and once we leave here myself and the permanent secretary have work to do,” he added.

The committee’s ideas cover both prevention and punishment. They want tighter controls and better technology to stop cheating before it happens.

One big recommendation is to include personal details on all exam documents — like photo, date of birth, and the National Identification Number (NIN). This will make it harder for anyone to pretend to be another student.

Also, every invigilator and supervisor will have to register using their own NIN. They will also have to sign in using a special code system like the one JAMB uses. This will help track everyone involved in the exam process and catch any dishonest behavior.

The group also wants to stop student swapping, which happens when candidates are moved between centers. Instead, they suggest changing the invigilators and supervisors. The four main exam bodies in Nigeria — WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS — all supported this idea.

They also want only trained public teachers or officials, not random workers, to supervise exams. These teachers must be on pensionable posts, making them easier to monitor and hold accountable.

To stop cheating during exams, every exam center must meet certain physical requirements. For example, the space between seats must be at least 1.5 meters, to make it harder to share answers.

All exam halls will need stationary CCTV cameras. These cameras will record everything and send live footage to a mini control room in the same building. If something unusual happens, officials can react quickly.

The plan also suggests that the four exam bodies should share a central control center. This will lower costs while still making it easier to monitor exams from one place. Body cameras may also be worn by invigilators to further reduce the risk of cheating.

In schools, students will now start their journey with a unique ID code connected to their NIN. This code will stay with them from their first school year until graduation. This will help track students and stop impersonation throughout their academic life.

Another serious concern is the old 1999 Examination Malpractice Act. According to the report, this law is either not working or hasn’t been properly enforced. The committee wants it reviewed and updated so it can work in today’s world. If done, this update could give authorities the power to punish offenders right away.

The committee also pushed for quicker use of Computer-Based Exams (CBEs). Instead of waiting until 2027, they want the system used for private candidates by 2025. Full use in schools should start by 2026. This change would make exams more secure and less open to cheating.

One of the most worrying parts of exam fraud is the Continuous Assessment system. These are the scores schools add to a student’s final result, often without proper review. The committee said the current system is being abused and is full of fraud.

They want the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and other education agencies to look into this issue. These agencies should come up with a better, more honest way to grade students’ work throughout the term.

With these changes, the Federal Government is making it clear that it will no longer tolerate exam malpractice. These new steps, if implemented fully, will clean up the system and restore faith in Nigerian exams.

For many students, teachers, and parents, the news brings a mix of hope and relief. For years, they’ve watched honest students lose out to those who cheated their way forward.

Now, they see a government finally ready to act — not just talk.

If the Education Ministry and lawmakers move fast, this court could become real very soon. And with every case it tries, more students will know that hard work, not cheating, is the true path to success.

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