Education Minister Reveals How Exam Questions Were Leaked Before NECO Tests

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has revealed how examination questions were allegedly obtained for as little as N3,000 before candidates sat for National Examinations Council examinations, describing the level of examination malpractice in Nigeria as “mind-boggling.”

Alausa made the disclosure on Thursday during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other stakeholders in the education sector.

The minister warned parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against practices that undermine the credibility of public examinations.

According to Alausa, examination malpractice had become deeply rooted in Nigeria over the years, creating an unfair environment where students who genuinely prepared for examinations could be disadvantaged by candidates who obtained leaked questions beforehand.

He said the situation was particularly troubling because persistent malpractice could eventually pressure honest students into cheating simply to compete with those who had access to examination materials before the tests.

“It’s sad. Before she, the Minister of State for Education, and I came, the acceptance of examination malpractice, cheating and examination leakages in this country was mind-boggling, and the country accepted it. It was a nightmare,” Alausa said.

He added that the practice posed a serious threat to students who wanted to succeed through legitimate preparation.

“The danger was that the good students would also become bad,” he said.

Recounting his experience in efforts to tackle examination malpractice, Alausa alleged that examination questions were previously being circulated and sold before candidates sat for the papers.

He recalled an alleged case involving a former NECO Registrar, Ibrahim Wushishi, saying candidates could obtain examination questions for N3,000 before the examination.

“They bought his question for N3,000. That was it. Before the examination,” the minister alleged.

Alausa also recounted his experience during the 2025 examination period, when he said he regularly received examination questions allegedly obtained before candidates sat for the papers.

According to him, officials were sometimes forced to verify the authenticity of the questions with examination authorities, only to discover that the leaked materials matched the questions scheduled for that day.

“I would wake up to her text. She would send questions to me. She would say, ‘I just got this question.’ It could be English or Chemistry,” he said.

He explained that he would forward the questions to examination officials to establish whether they were genuine.

“I would send it to the HNO and ask, ‘HNO, is this correct?’ And the answer I got was, ‘Unfortunately, that’s the question we’re doing today.’”

Alausa said the experience demonstrated the scale of the challenge facing the country’s examination system and the need for stronger measures to prevent question-paper leakages.

He also rejected the idea that examination malpractice should be treated solely as a problem caused by students.

The minister said the broader education system, including parents, schools, teachers, invigilators and principals, must take responsibility for preventing malpractice.

“When we have an ecosystem where parents, schools, teachers, invigilators and principals are in full connivance, the students are the smallest players,” he said.

Alausa said the Federal Government would continue strengthening measures designed to protect the integrity of public examinations and ensure that academic qualifications accurately reflect students’ knowledge and abilities.

He linked the reforms to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the government was working to restore standards across Nigeria’s education system.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, also appealed to private school proprietors and other education stakeholders to support the examination reforms.

Ahmad said stronger examination controls could initially reveal weaknesses among students whose previous performances may have been boosted by access to leaked questions.

She said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make it more difficult for candidates to benefit from leaked materials and encourage students to prepare genuinely for their examinations.

The minister also urged schools to complete their curricula on schedule and promote regular study among students.

The Federal Government’s renewed focus on examination integrity comes amid longstanding concerns over question-paper leakages, impersonation, collusion and unauthorised assistance during public examinations.

The government says tighter controls are necessary to ensure that examination results remain credible and that students who prepare and compete fairly are not disadvantaged by malpractice.