The Federal Government has unveiled a sweeping set of reforms aimed at tackling examination malpractice and strengthening the integrity of Nigeria’s assessment system ahead of the 2026 examinations. The initiative targets widespread cheating and irregularities in major national exams, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) tests.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa and Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Said Ahmed announced the new strategies in Abuja, saying the reforms are designed to rebuild public confidence in the credibility and fairness of national examinations.
Among the key measures is an enhanced question randomisation and serialisation system. While all students will sit for the same examination, the sequence and arrangement of questions will differ for each candidate, drastically reducing opportunities for collusion during exams.
The government also reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on SS3 transfers, pledging strict enforcement of existing policies against last-minute school changes linked to malpractice. New, standardised timelines for Continuous Assessment (CA) submissions have been introduced for all exam bodies to ensure uniformity and data integrity across the country.
In a bid to enhance oversight and monitoring, the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number to track candidates throughout the assessment process. This identifier is expected to strengthen accountability, certification tracking and long-term data management.
The ministers pledged closer coordination with relevant examination bodies, state governments, parents and school administrators to ensure full compliance with the reforms. They emphasized that the measures align with global best practices while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational challenges.
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