Nigeria’s national exam body, the National Examinations Council (NECO), has announced new legal and technical measures to fight rampant exam malpractice, much of it facilitated via encrypted WhatsApp groups.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, Mr Ahmed Bagwai, who chairs NECO’s Annual Posting Calendar Implementation Committee, revealed that the council is seeking a court order to block mobile numbers linked to these leaks. A motion ex parte is ready to be submitted to the Niger State High Court, Suleja Division.
“We’ve partnered with agencies like the ICPC, EFCC, and NCC to make it harder for fraudsters to get live exam papers before the exam day,” Bagwai said. “But unfortunately, some leaks still happen just hours beforehand.”
Despite monitoring systems that track exam papers from printing to secure storage points, NECO suspects that some supervisors and custodians may be involved in last-minute leaks.
Ongoing NECO examinations have exposed the scale of the black market for leaked questions. NAN journalists discovered dedicated WhatsApp groups where exam content is sold to candidates for as little as ₦500. Payments are made through Fintech apps, making the trade swift and discreet.
Reports also suggest that certain teachers and supervisors accept bribes from parents and students to assist cheating. An anonymous teacher in Ibadan highlighted how even state-run entrance tests are now targeted, blaming the trend on eroding societal values and widespread parental complicity. “The damage to education is enormous unless tougher penalties and stronger monitoring are enforced,” the teacher warned.
Mr Fatai Owoseni, a former police commissioner and current security adviser to the Oyo State governor, described how fraudsters now use ‘face-blending’ to bypass biometric verification, merging candidates’ images to enable impersonation.
“Cheating has evolved into an organised criminal business. Candidates don’t just rely on leaked papers; they even hire professional impersonators,” Owoseni told NAN. He added that JAMB, Nigeria’s university entrance exam board, has invested heavily in digital security but continues to face hacking threats.
Owoseni commended JAMB’s digital reforms under Prof Ishaq Oloyede and advised NECO and WAEC to strengthen collaboration with JAMB. He also urged caution and careful planning as Nigeria moves towards broader adoption of computer-based testing.
