Students Caught in UTME Malpractice Will Be Barred from WAEC, NECO for Three Years – Education Minister

The Federal Government has announced strict sanctions against students found guilty of examination malpractice during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), directing that such candidates be barred from taking any external examinations in Nigeria—including those conducted by WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB—for a period of three years.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, issued the directive in a formal letter addressed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other examination bodies. He stated that the measure aims to serve as a strong deterrent to students and parents who may be considering engaging in exam fraud.

The directive follows revelations by JAMB that this year’s UTME saw a rise in high-level malpractices, prompting the withdrawal of some results and the arrest of several suspects nationwide. JAMB disclosed that over 3,000 candidates have already been identified as either accomplices or beneficiaries of sophisticated examination fraud. According to the Board, ongoing investigations may result in further result cancellations as more evidence comes to light.

Dr. Alausa also called for the immediate penalisation of schools and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres found to be aiding malpractice or functioning as so-called ‘miracle centres.’ He proposed that any school or centre sanctioned by one examination body should be similarly punished by all other examination bodies, with the penalties running concurrently.

Quoting Section 16(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act, the minister emphasized that examination bodies are empowered to circulate the names of offenders—including candidates, supervisors, invigilators, officials, schools, and centres—to ensure coordinated punitive action across the sector.

This coordinated crackdown, the minister stressed, is essential in confronting the growing menace of miracle centres and restoring integrity to Nigeria’s examination system.