Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa has defended the sharp decline in 2025 UTME performance as a sign that the government’s crackdown on exam malpractice is succeeding. Speaking Tuesday on Channels Television, he noted that the strict, technology-driven system used by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has effectively eliminated cheating, unlike in other exam bodies like WAEC and NECO.
The latest UTME results revealed that only about 420,000 of nearly 2 million candidates scored above 200 a pass rate of just 22 percent. While this has triggered national concern, Alausa described it as a positive outcome. “It’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way,” he said, adding that cheating had previously inflated performance figures.
The education ministry, according to Alausa, is pushing WAEC and NECO to adopt similar security measures. Starting November 2025, the two exam bodies will begin transitioning to computer-based testing (CBT) for objective questions, with full CBT including essay sections expected by mid-2026.
The minister condemned so-called “miracle centres,” where students can allegedly buy answers, saying they corrupt students who might otherwise succeed honestly. “The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones,” he said.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring academic credibility by integrating more technology into Nigeria’s testing systems.
