The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a comprehensive technological and administrative overhaul of the national examination system, introducing stringent measures to eliminate malpractice across the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) starting from the 2026 academic cycle.
Announced on Monday by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, the reforms target long-standing vulnerabilities in the conduct of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The initiative, described as a pivot toward global best practices, seeks to restore international confidence in Nigerian academic certifications after years of systemic integrity challenges.
A central pillar of the new strategy is the introduction of "enhanced question randomisation and serialisation". Under this protocol, while all candidates will be tested on the same curriculum, the sequencing of questions and options will be unique to every student.
Dr Alausa emphasised that the ministry is deploying these targeted strategies to safeguard the sanctity of national assessments. "Every student will essentially write a unique version of the examination," the Minister noted in a statement released through the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folasade Boriowo. He added that this measure would significantly reduce the opportunity for mass cheating.
To complement the digital safeguards, the government has officially prohibited the transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3). The Ministry clarified that admissions and transfers will now be strictly limited to SS1 and SS2 levels to ensure consistent academic monitoring.
Further enhancing the traceability of candidates, the government is introducing the Examination Learners’ Identity Number (ELIN). This unique identifier will track a student's academic journey and biometric data, effectively ending the era of "impersonation" where paid surrogates sit for exams on behalf of registered students.
The reforms also establish a rigorous national timeline for the submission of Continuous Assessment (CA) scores. To prevent the post-examination doctoring of internal marks, all examination bodies, including the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), must now adhere to a standardised schedule: First Term CA in January, Second Term in April, and Third Term in August.
