The government’s anti-malpractice measures, particularly in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board system, are working, according to Education Minister Tunji Alausa, who has stated that the high number of failures in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a reflection of these efforts.
A thorough statistical report of the 2025 UTME results was reportedly officially released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday. It showed that over 1.5 million applicants received scores below the 200-mark cutoff point, which is frequently used by Nigerian universities to determine admission.
Merely 420,415 candidates achieved scores higher than 200, out of the 1,955,069 results that were processed and made public on Monday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Alausa said that the performance dip was a direct result of JAMB’s stricter security measures, which have led to a notable decrease in exam misconduct.
“That’s a serious concern, and it reflects on how well exams are administered,” he stated. The exam is administered by JAMB through a computer-based testing system. Due to the implementation of robust security measures, fraud and cheating have been eradicated. Sadly, we are unable to make the same statement about WAEC and NECO.
By November 2025, Alausa also declared that the National Examinations Council and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will start using computer-based exams, beginning with objective examinations.
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Exam fraud, he claims, discourages hard-working students, and the ministry is still dedicated to restoring the legitimacy of Nigeria’s admissions and testing procedures through technology-driven solutions.
“The May/June 2026 exam cycle will implement the complete CBT model, including essay sections,” he continued.
We must combat this scam with technology. It is simply intolerable that there are so many “miracle centers.” Examinees cheat on the WAEC and NECO before taking the JAMB, when cheating is practically impossible. We’re now witnessing that discrepancy. That’s depressing.
Cheating’s worst effect is that it deters those who put forth the most effort. Would I still put in a lot of study time if I knew that some of my classmates had access to the questions for WAEC or NECO? Well, I could be inclined to go with them. We need to stop it because that is how good students are corrupted.
