The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has defended the concerning results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), suggesting that the high failure rate actually demonstrates the success of anti-malpractice protocols implemented by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This statement follows public alarm after JAMB released statistics revealing that only approximately 420,000 out of 1,955,069 examination candidates achieved scores above 200, meaning over 78% of students fell below this important benchmark.
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During an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Dr. Alausa explained that the disappointing performance stems from reduced cheating opportunities due to JAMB’s robust security systems.
His words: “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.”
Dr. Alausa disclosed that the government conducted a thorough assessment of Nigeria’s examination frameworks shortly after his appointment.
As part of ongoing educational reforms, he announced that both the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will begin implementing computer-based testing (CBT) for objective papers starting November 2025, with full CBT implementation, including essay components, scheduled for May/June 2026.
His words: “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.”
When questioned whether the poor examination outcomes resulted from inadequate enforcement or genuine deterioration in academic standards, the minister acknowledged both factors contribute but emphasized that widespread examination malpractice remains the fundamental issue.
Regarding the transition to computer-based examinations next year, Dr. Alausa stated, “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.”
“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.”
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