Exam malpractice: NECO questions were sold for N3,000, says Alausa

Nigeria’s Education Minister Tunji Alausa says examination questions were once sold for as little as 3,000 naira before candidates sat the papers, a revelation he described as evidence of a “mind-boggling” culture of malpractice.

Alausa made the disclosure at a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other education stakeholders. He warned parents, teachers, school owners, principals, invigilators and students against practices that could undermine the integrity of public examinations.

He said malpractice had been tolerated for years, creating an unfair contest between students who prepared honestly and those who gained access to leaked materials. That imbalance, he added, could turn even high-performing students toward cheating as they competed for university places.

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It’s sad. Before she 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.

“It’s sad. Before she 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.

Recounting an earlier episode involving the National Examinations Council, he alleged that candidates could obtain questions through a person known as Wushishi for 3,000 naira before the examination. He also recalled the 2025 examination period, when suspected questions were repeatedly sent to him before candidates took the papers. Officials sometimes checked them with examination authorities and found that the circulated questions matched those scheduled for the day.

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They bought his question for N3,000. That was it. Before the examination.