By Felix Khanoba
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has declared that the National Examinations Council (NECO) is now better equipped to deliver credible examinations following the examination body’s rapid adoption of digital technology, particularly Computer-Based Examinations (CBE).
Alausa made the assessment while meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPPS) and other stakeholders in the education sector.
The minister commended the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, for spearheading reforms that have repositioned the council and improved its examination processes.
“I can tell you today, with all unequivocation, NECO is better placed. NECO conducts better exams. NECO uses better technology,” the minister said.
He singled out the council’s transition towards computer-based testing as evidence of its growing technological capacity, describing the pace of its transformation as remarkable.
“When we also go to this CBT, they move quickly, they deploy better technology. The transformation of NECO, amazing,” Alausa said.
According to him, Wushishi’s ability to implement reforms and produce measurable results informed the Federal Government’s decision to retain him in charge of the examination council.
The minister maintained that the government’s support for the NECO leadership was driven by performance rather than personal connections or patronage.
“We’ve worked with him, we’ve got him to where we want, he’s doing so well, why do we have to change him?” he asked, stressing: “This thing is not about patronage to us. It’s not about patronage, it’s about value.”
The endorsement comes amid a series of technological reforms being implemented by NECO, including online registration, biometric verification, computer-based examinations for selected papers, digital certificates and automated marking.
The Federal Government has also been promoting the gradual migration of NECO examinations from the conventional Paper-Pencil Test (PPT) format to Computer-Based Examination (CBE), with the objective of improving efficiency, strengthening examination security and curbing malpractice.
Alausa identified examination malpractice as a major threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s education system, arguing that greater reliance on technology would help address the problem.
“It’s sad. Before we 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,” he said.
The minister alleged that examination questions were previously obtainable for as little as N3,000, a situation he said underscored the scale of the leakage problem before the ongoing reforms under Wushishi.
He said persistent examination malpractice could have far-reaching consequences for the education system, particularly for students who prepare diligently for their examinations.
According to him, widespread leakage of examination questions gives an unfair advantage to candidates who cheat while undermining the credibility of certificates issued through the examination process.
He warned that normalising malpractice could eventually corrupt even students who initially remained committed to academic honesty.
“The danger was that the good students would also become bad,” Alausa said.
The minister consequently called on parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students to support measures aimed at restoring confidence and integrity to public examinations.
Beyond its domestic reforms, NECO has also expanded its reach outside Nigeria, with the council currently conducting examinations in at least eight countries and offering Nigerian curriculum-based assessments to schools and candidates in the diaspora.
The examination body recently commemorated its 25th anniversary, with the council stating that its examinations have affected the lives of nearly 35 million Nigerians since its establishment.
Wushishi has consistently pledged to expand the council’s investment in technology, personnel and institutional processes as part of efforts to improve fairness, credibility and integrity in examination administration.
The Federal Government is equally exploring additional safeguards against examination malpractice, including the serial numbering of examination question papers, which officials believe could further limit opportunities for question-paper leakage before examinations.
