NECO Questions Allegedly Sold for N3,000 Before Exams, Minister Reveals
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has disclosed that the questions of the National Examinations Council (NEC) were allegedly sold as low as N3,000 before candidates sat for their papers.
Alausa disclosed this at a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other education stakeholders on Thursday, calling the extent of examination malpractice in Nigeria “mind-boggling”.
The minister said that examination malpractice had taken deep root in the country, adding that children who prepared for their exams honestly may be disadvantaged if the questions are leaked.
He said that if students worked hard, they might be discouraged from upholding academic integrity if they were competing with students who got examination papers before the exams.
Alausa also said that he had received questions for examination in the 2025 examination period and sent them to the examination officials for verification. He said that sometimes officials would confirm that the questions circulated were the ones that were planned for the day.
He emphasized that examination malpractice was not just a student issue, noting that parents, schools, teachers, principals and invigilators also had a role to play in ensuring examination integrity.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said that the questions in the exams would be serialised to make it difficult for the leaked ones to be used.
The reforms are designed to ensure that examination outcomes are a true reflection of learning, preparation and merit, the government said.
