NECO Question Papers Sold for N3,000 Before Exams — Education Minister

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has raised fresh concerns over examination malpractice in Nigeria, revealing that National Examinations Council question papers were allegedly sold to candidates for as little as N3,000 before examinations were conducted.

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Alausa made the disclosure on Thursday during a meeting with private school proprietors and other stakeholders in the education sector, where he warned against practices that compromise the credibility of public examinations.

The minister described the scale of malpractice in the country as disturbing, saying years of tolerance had created an environment where candidates who genuinely prepared for examinations were placed at a disadvantage.

He expressed concern that persistent question leakages could also encourage honest students to cheat in order to compete with those who had gained access to examination materials in advance.

Recalling past incidents, Alausa said there was a time when candidates could allegedly obtain examination questions before the scheduled date of the papers for N3,000.

He also recounted his experience during the 2025 examination period, saying he received purported examination questions before candidates sat for the papers and had to contact examination officials to establish their authenticity.

According to the minister, some of the questions sent to him were subsequently confirmed to be the exact papers scheduled for candidates that day.

Alausa argued that examination malpractice should not be blamed solely on students, stressing that parents, school proprietors, teachers, principals and invigilators all have responsibilities in protecting the integrity of examinations.

He said the Federal Government was determined to tighten the system and ensure that certificates awarded to students reflected their actual knowledge and academic abilities.

The minister also urged private school operators to support ongoing reforms, while the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, said measures such as serialised examination papers would make it more difficult for candidates to benefit from leaked questions.

Ahmad further urged schools to complete their curricula on time and encourage students to prepare adequately, noting that stronger examination controls would help restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system.