The Federal Government has said any student found to be cheating in public examinations such as those conducted by WAEC, NECO or NABTEB will now be banned for three years.
Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, stated that the National Identification Number (NIN) will be used to enforce the ban across all examination bodies.
The spokesperson of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dr. Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in a statement titled “Ministerial Directive Regarding the Menace of ‘Miracle Centres’ in the Education Sector at Secondary School Level.”
The Minister added that any school or Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre caught in examination malpractice—popularly known as miracle centres—will be derecognised by all examination bodies for a period to be determined by the sanctioning body.
“The move is aimed at creating a uniform punishment system to deter institutional malpractice.
“In accordance with Sections 5(1)(c)(lv) and 6 of the JAMB Act, the Hon. The Minister of Education has directed that such centres, once blacklisted by one examination body, should automatically be derecognised by others,” the statement read.
The Minister said the punishment for candidates involved in malpractice is outlined by Section 16(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act of 1999, which allows examination bodies to circulate names of offending individuals and institutions for cross-sanctioning.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education said it has zero-tolerance on examination malpractice.
In a separate statement, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, expressed deep concern over the persistent erosion of academic integrity, warning that it threatens Nigeria’s human capital development.
“In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry is committed to eradicating all forms of examination malpractice,” Boriowo said.
