Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has attributed the high rate of poor performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to the Federal Government’s ongoing crackdown on examination malpractice.
Speaking during an interview on national television, Dr. Alausa explained that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has become a benchmark for exam integrity due to its rigorous Computer-Based Testing (CBT) system, which has significantly curbed cheating.
“The issue isn’t a lack of intelligence among students,” he stated. “The lower scores simply reflect a more transparent and secure examination process. We’re finally conducting exams the right way.”
According to the minister, JAMB’s adoption of CBT has built strong safeguards against malpractice, making cheating nearly impossible—a standard he believes other exam bodies like WAEC and NECO are yet to achieve.
“JAMB has transformed its process into a secure, nearly fraud-proof system. Unfortunately, WAEC and NECO still face serious challenges in this regard,” Alausa noted.
To address this, he announced that both WAEC and NECO will begin transitioning to computer-based testing in November, with a full rollout planned by 2027 for all major national examination bodies, including EMBRAS and NBTEB.
“Technology is the solution,” he said. “We must dismantle the culture of malpractice at its roots, and that begins with modernizing how exams are conducted.”
Dr. Alausa expressed concern over the widespread culture of exam fraud in secondary schools, which he says rewards dishonesty and discourages hardworking students.
“Many students cheat their way through WAEC and NECO but struggle during JAMB because it offers no loopholes for malpractice. That’s what the 2025 UTME results are showing us,” he explained.
He warned that this flawed system demoralizes students who are genuinely preparing for exams.
“When honest students see their peers succeed through leaked exam papers, they feel pressured to join in. It’s an unfair system that promotes corruption from an early age,” he lamented.
Describing exam fraud as a deeply rooted network involving students, parents, teachers, and invigilators, Dr. Alausa said the government is committed to eradicating it.
“We’ve allowed this rot to persist for too long. JAMB has shown that a clean examination is possible—we must now apply that same standard to WAEC and NECO. This is about securing the future of our nation,” he declared.
Reaffirming his faith in Nigerian students, Alausa emphasized that the problem lies not in their abilities but in a compromised environment.
“Our youth are intelligent and full of promise. What they lack is a fair and accountable system. We’re determined to fix that,” he concluded.
This year’s UTME saw over 1.5 million candidates score below 200, sparking nationwide concern and debate about the state of education and examination standards in the country.
