The Federal Government has raised fresh concerns over examination malpractice in Nigeria after the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, revealed that candidates allegedly purchased leaked National Examinations Council, NECO, questions for as little as N3,000 before sitting for their examinations.

Alausa disclosed this while addressing members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, NAPPS, and other education stakeholders on Thursday.

The minister described the level of examination malpractice in the country as alarming, warning that the growing trend threatens the integrity of Nigeria’s education system and puts honest students at a disadvantage.

According to him, some candidates allegedly gained access to examination questions before the scheduled commencement of the papers.

Recounting one of the incidents, Alausa alleged that examination questions were reportedly sold through an illegal platform associated with the name of a former Registrar of NECO, Ibrahim Wushishi.

“They bought his question for N3,000. That was it. Before the examination. They called him Wushishi and bought the questions for N3,000,” the minister said.

Alausa further recalled his experience during the 2025 examination period, saying he repeatedly received examination questions ahead of the time candidates were expected to sit for the papers.

He explained that some of the leaked questions were subsequently verified with examination officials and confirmed to be the same questions scheduled for candidates.

The Education Minister warned that widespread access to leaked examination materials could negatively influence students who would ordinarily avoid cheating.

According to him, honest students may eventually feel compelled to participate in examination malpractice because they are competing with candidates who already have access to the questions.

“The danger was that the good students would also become bad,” Alausa said.

He stressed that the fight against examination malpractice should not be left to students alone, insisting that parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals and examination invigilators must all take responsibility.

Alausa said the Federal Government was committed to strengthening measures aimed at protecting the credibility of public examinations and restoring integrity to Nigeria’s education system.

The development comes amid renewed concerns over examination malpractice, question leaks and the increasing use of technology to compromise the conduct of public examinations across the country.