Nigeria’s Minister of Education has attributed the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to the government’s intensified crackdown on examination malpractice. He described the outcome as a sign that integrity is finally being restored to the system.
The latest figures released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) show that out of nearly 2 million candidates who sat for the UTME, only about 420,000 scored above 200 — the traditional benchmark for competitive admissions into tertiary institutions. This means more than three-quarters of the candidates failed to meet the cut-off score, triggering widespread concern among parents, students, and education observers.
However, the Minister of Education, speaking on a national television programme, said the low performance should not be seen solely as an academic setback but rather as proof that JAMB’s tightened security has drastically reduced cheating. According to him, the adoption of computer-based testing and sophisticated surveillance systems has made it nearly impossible for candidates to engage in malpractice during the UTME.
He contrasted this with the state of affairs in other national examinations such as WAEC and NECO, where he said cheating still thrives due to manual systems and inadequate monitoring. The Minister explained that the Ministry had conducted a review of these systems and concluded that reform was urgently needed.
To that end, he announced that WAEC and NECO will begin transitioning to computer-based testing by November 2025, starting with multiple-choice papers. The full switch to CBT, including theory and essay components, will take effect during the May/June 2026 examination cycle. This, he said, is part of a broader move to standardise assessments and eliminate the culture of “miracle centres” where students are often aided to cheat.
The Minister warned that examination malpractice not only distorts academic outcomes but also threatens the future of education in Nigeria. He pointed out that when dishonest practices go unchecked, students who are willing to study hard lose faith in the system. Over time, this erodes the values of discipline, fairness, and merit that are critical to national development.
He gave an example of how students preparing for WAEC or NECO might feel discouraged upon discovering that others already have access to leaked questions. “Why would they bother studying when they know the system rewards those who cheat?” he asked. “This is how we lose our brightest minds to a corrupt system, and this is what we are determined to fix.”
The Minister reiterated that the government’s commitment to restoring credibility in education would be driven by technology-based solutions. He said that beyond exams, the goal is to build a transparent, fair, and credible system that ensures equal opportunity for all Nigerian students, regardless of background or location.
He called on stakeholders , including parents, teachers, and school administrators to support the reform process by promoting integrity and discouraging practices that compromise the credibility of education.
