The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Tuesday said that the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is proof that anti-malpractice measures are working effectively, especially within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) system.
He spoke on the heels of public concerns following JAMB’s release of data indicating that out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the examination, only about 420,000 scored above 200. More than 78% failed to meet the 200-mark threshold.
Speaking on Channels Television’s on Tuesday, Alausa attributed the poor performance to reduced cheating due to JAMB’s stringent security protocols.
He said: “That’s a big concern, and it’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way.
“JAMB conducts its exam using a computer-based testing system. They’ve implemented strong security measures, and as a result, fraud or cheating has been completely eliminated. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for WAEC and NECO.”
According to him, shortly after taking office, the government carried out a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s examination systems, and as part of reforms, he announced that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will begin transitioning to computer-based testing (CBT) starting November 2025 with objective papers, followed by full CBT adoption, including essay sections, by May/June 2026.
“We have to use technology to fight this fraud. There are so many ‘miracle centres’, and that is simply unacceptable. People cheat during WAEC and NECO exams and then face JAMB, where cheating is nearly impossible. That’s the disparity we’re seeing now. It’s sad.
“The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones. If I’m preparing for WAEC or NECO and I know some classmates already have access to the questions, do you think I’ll still study hard?
“No, I’ll be tempted to join them. That’s how good students are corrupted, and that’s exactly what we must stop.”
On whether the poor results were due to weak enforcement or a genuine drop in academic standards, the minister said both played a role but added that widespread malpractice was the root issue.
“We’re addressing the quality of teaching and using technology, including online classes, to support learning from primary to secondary levels. But the pervasive cheating in our high school exams, especially WAEC and NECO, is the core problem,” he said.
“JAMB is now almost 100 per cent fraud-free, but WAEC and NECO still have major lapses. Our youths are intelligent, capable, and energetic. It’s the environment that corrupts them, and we’re determined to fix that,” he added