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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

NECO question papers were sold for ₦3,000 before exams — Minister

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Nigeria’s education minister said National Examinations Council question papers had allegedly been sold for 3,000 naira before examinations.
  • Tunji Alausa described examination malpractice as widespread and warned that leaked papers could disadvantage honest students and push them toward cheating.
  • He urged parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students to help protect the integrity of public examinations.

Question papers for Nigeria’s National Examinations Council examinations were allegedly sold for 3,000 naira before candidates sat the tests, Education Minister Tunji Alausa said.

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.

· Tunji AlausaNigeria’s education minister described the longstanding acceptance of examination malpractice.

Alausa described the scale of examination malpractice as “mind-boggling” during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other education stakeholders. He warned parents, teachers, proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against practices that could undermine public examinations.

The minister said Nigeria had tolerated cheating and examination leaks for years, creating an unfair system. Students who prepared honestly, he said, were placed at a disadvantage against candidates who obtained questions in advance. He also warned that the imbalance could encourage honest students to cheat simply to compete.

The danger was that the good students would also become bad.

· Tunji AlausaHe warned that leaked examination papers could push honest students into cheating.

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

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

· Tunji AlausaHe alleged that examination questions had previously been sold before candidates sat the tests.

Recalling previous leaks, he alleged that candidates could obtain examination questions through a channel associated with a former NECO registrar, Abdulrashid Wushishi, for 3,000 naira before the examination. He also described receiving questions during the 2025 examination period and sending them to the relevant examination authority for verification. On some occasions, he said, officials confirmed that the circulated questions were scheduled for that day. Alausa said the problem extended beyond students and required action across the wider education system.

Unfortunately, that’s the question we’re doing today.

· Examination authority officialAlausa said officials confirmed that some questions circulated before the 2025 examinations were genuine.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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