Education Minister Orders Blacklisting Of Exam Malpractice Offenders, Miracle Centres

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has directed major examination bodies in Nigeria to blacklist Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and candidates found guilty of examination malpractice.

In a letter dated May 27, 2025, addressed to 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), the minister described his directive as a response to widespread malpractice reported during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Alausa instructed that any school or CBT centre involved in malpractice or operating as a so-called miracle centre should be derecognised for a period determined by the examination body involved.

“If any school or CBT centre is derecognised by one examination body, other sister bodies should follow suit and enforce the same punishment for the same duration,” Alausa stated. “This will send a very strong signal to operators of these miracle centres.”

He further directed that students found guilty of examination malpractice should be barred from sitting for any external examinations in Nigeria—including those conducted by WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB—for a period of three years. This, he said, should be enforced using the National Identification Number (NIN) system.

“Such a stringent measure will serve as a deterrent to other students and parents,” he added.

Citing Section 16(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act, the minister noted that the law permits examination bodies to share the names of offenders, including candidates, officials, and centres, so that similar sanctions can be imposed across all relevant institutions.

JAMB had earlier reported instances of “advanced malpractices” during the conduct of the 2025 UTME and rescheduled exams for over 24,000 candidates.