FG Introduces Stringent Punishment For WAEC, JAMB, NECO Cheats

Henceforth, stringent punishment await candidates who cheat in the examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions & Matriculation Board (JAMB), West African Examination Council (WAEC), as well as the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Any of them caught would now face a 3 year ban across all the examinations, the federal government has stated.

It has, to the effect, inaugurated a 25-member committee to establish a Nigerian Education Data Initiative

An official circular signed by JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin, dated May 27, 2025 reeled out the latest development.

It is coming on stream as part of the bid to reduce examination malpractices as well as eliminate the influence of miracle centres in the conduct of such examinations.

The directive, issued by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, in line with Sections 5(1)(c)(iv) and 6 of the JAMB Act, states in part:

“Student (s) involved in examination malpractice should be barred from sitting for any external examinations in Nigeria, such as those conducted by WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, etc., for three years using the instrumentality of NIN. Such a stringent measure will serve as a deterrent to other students and parents,” the board stated

“Any school/CBT centre involved in examination malpractice and/or acting as a miracle centre should be derecognised for a number of years. The duration will be determined by the examination body,” the board stated, adding that:

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“If any school/CBT centre is derecognised by any examination body, other sister examination bodies should follow suit and derecognise the same school/CBT centre for the same number of years to run concurrently. This will send a very strong signal to the operators of these miracle centres,” they stated

Citing Section 16(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act, JAMB stated that it empowered examination bodies to withdraw recognition from centres involved in malpractice.

It also requires that the names of such centres be shared with other examination authorities, enabling coordinated sanctions across different examination bodies.