Nigeria Education Minister exposes ₦3,000 NECO exam question scandal

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has raised alarms regarding widespread examination malpractice, revealing that National Examinations Council (NECO) question papers have been sold for as little as ₦3,000. Speaking at a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Alausa described the scale of the issue as “mind-boggling” and deeply entrenched within the education ecosystem.

The Minister alleged that leaked questions were previously accessible through channels associated with a former NECO Registrar, Ibrahim Wushishi. Alausa reported that during the 2025 examination period, he personally received leaked questions that were later verified by officials as genuine materials for the scheduled exams.

To combat this, the Federal Government is implementing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to restore academic integrity. Proposed measures include strengthening examination administration and introducing serialized questions to make leaked materials harder to utilize. Alausa emphasized that tackling malpractice requires collective responsibility from parents, teachers, school proprietors, and invigilators, noting that the practice unfairly disadvantages hardworking students and undermines the credibility of national qualifications.