Nigeria's exam integrity push highlighted by Kogi State's clean WAEC record

Former JAMB registrar Professor Is‑haq Oloyede warned that parents, rather than only students, fuel examination malpractice in Nigeria, but stressed that the responsibility also lies with examination bodies such as JAMB, WAEC, NECO and the federal and state education ministries. He argued that systemic issues – overcrowded classrooms, insufficient teachers and resources – turn exams into a test of the education system itself.

In Kogi State, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration reported that no government‑run secondary school appeared on the latest WAEC list of institutions sanctioned for malpractice. The clean record was credited to Education Commissioner Wemi Jones’s tighter supervision, stricter enforcement of WAEC guidelines and broader reforms such as training for computer‑based exams and a statewide school census. Supporters view the result as evidence that political will and accountability measures can improve exam integrity, while observers caution that sustaining progress will require continued investment in the broader education system.