Minister of Education
The Federal Government has announced a comprehensive package of reforms aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations from 2026 and beyond.
The new measures, unveiled by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, are part of broader efforts to strengthen the credibility, transparency and public confidence in Nigeria’s national assessment system.
A statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, said the ministry is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of public examinations nationwide.
Among the key reforms is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. Although candidates will answer the same questions, the sequence and arrangement will differ for each candidate, ensuring that every student sits for a unique version of the examination and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion.
The ministry also reiterated its strict prohibition of candidate transfers at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level. The directive, which has already been communicated through an official circular, will now be rigorously enforced to curb last-minute school changes often linked to examination malpractice.
To further promote transparency and uniformity, the Federal Government has developed new national Continuous Assessment (CA) guidelines for immediate implementation. Under the guidelines, all examination bodies — including WAEC, NECO and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) — are required to adhere strictly to standardised CA submission timelines.
According to the guidelines, first-term CA submissions must be completed in January, second-term submissions in April, while third-term submissions are due in August. The ministry said the timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity and timely processing of assessment records nationwide.
In addition, the ministry announced the introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The identifier is expected to enhance candidate tracking, strengthen accountability, and support long-term reforms in examination administration, certification and data management.
The ministers assured stakeholders that examination administration will be conducted under strengthened supervision, in collaboration with relevant examination bodies, to ensure strict compliance with approved guidelines and ethical standards.
They stressed that the reforms reflect the Federal Government’s determination to conduct credible, fair and globally competitive examinations while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational challenges.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents and candidates to ensure the effective implementation of the measures and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations across the country.