NECO question papers were sold for N3,000 before exams — Minister

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has disclosed that examination questions for Nigeria's National Examinations Council (NECO) were reportedly purchased for N3,000 prior to the exams. This revelation came during a meeting with stakeholders in the education sector, where Alausa condemned the widespread examination malpractice in the country, describing it as "mind-boggling."

He cautioned against practices that could compromise the integrity of public exams, warning that genuine students might be tempted to engage in malpractice to compete with those who had access to leaked questions.

Alausa recounted how he received leaked questions before exams, such as in the 2025 examination period, forcing officials to verify the authenticity of the questions against those scheduled for the day. He emphasized that the issue was not solely a student problem, requiring the entire education ecosystem to take responsibility for curbing the practice. Stakeholders, including parents, teachers, principals, invigilators, and students, were urged to play their part in preventing unfair access to examination materials.

The minister vowed that the Federal Government would strengthen measures to protect the integrity of public examinations, aligning with President Bola Tinubu's efforts to restore standards and reposition Nigeria's education system. He noted that the country had long tolerated practices that undermined its education system, but the Tinubu administration was determined to reverse the trend.

The Ministry of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, also called on private school proprietors and stakeholders to support the reforms, highlighting that stronger examination controls would initially expose weaknesses in students' preparation.