According to Education Minister Tunji Alausa, the government’s anti-malpractice efforts, particularly in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board system, are having an impact, as evidenced by the widespread failures in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Over 1.5 million applicants received scores below the 200-mark cutoff point that is frequently used by Nigerian universities for admission consideration, according to a thorough statistical report of the 2025 UTME results that was formally released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday.
Out of the 1,955,069 results that were processed and made public on Monday, only 420,415 candidates received scores higher than 200.
Speaking on Tuesday’s Channels Television Morning Brief, Alausa said that the performance reduction is a direct result of JAMB’s stricter security measures, which have significantly reduced exam misconduct.
That’s a major worry, because it reflects how well exams are administered, he said. A computer-based testing method is used by JAMB to administer its exam. Since they put in place robust security measures, fraud and cheating have been totally eradicated. Regretfully, the same cannot be said for NECO and WAEC.
Additionally, Alausa declared that by November 2025, the National Examinations Council and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will start using computer-based testing, beginning with objective papers.
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He claims that exam fraud discourages hardworking students and that the ministry is still dedicated to restoring the legitimacy of Nigeria’s admissions and assessment procedures through the use of technology-driven solutions.
By the May/June 2026 exam cycle, the entire CBT model—including essay sections—will be implemented, he continued.
“In order to combat this scam, we must deploy technology. It is just not acceptable that there are so many “miracle centers.” Before taking the JAMB, when cheating is practically impossible, some cheat on the WAEC and NECO exams. That is the difference that we are currently witnessing. It’s depressing.
The worst thing about cheating is that it discourages those who put in the most effort. Do you think I’ll still put in a lot of study time if I’m getting ready for WAEC or NECO and I know some of my classmates already have access to the questions? No, I might be persuaded to go with them. That’s how good students get corrupted, and we need to stop it.
