Nigeria has Highest Cases of WAEC Exam Malpractice in West Africa

Nigeria has the highest number of examination irregularities among the five member countries of the West African Examinations Council, the Head, National Office of the Council, Charles Eguridu, has said.

Speaking at a Road Show on Examination Malpractices Sensitization held in Abuja, the Head, National Office of the Council, Charles Eguridu, added that WAEC has not introduced stricter measures and the use of advanced technology in its bid to curb malpractice in the country.

He warned candidates and schools that engage in organised examination malpractice of dire consequences including prosecution.

"We have regulation that governs the conduct of our examination," he said, warning that malpractice will no longer be tolerated.

He said the council has the power to withhold results and carry out investigation on whoever is involved in examination malpractice.

Mr. Eguridu said after the investigations, the entire result of such a candidate will be cancelled and the centre, derecognised.

He added that WAEC has introduced a technology that verifies candidates that registered for the exam.

Mr. Eguridi explained that at the point of registration, the biometric features of each candidate will be captured.

"All these will be uploaded into our database and on the day of the exam, these features are uploaded into a handheld devise at the centre and like the card reader does, we verify that it is the candidate that writes the exam," he said.

He further explained that WAEC remains the only examination body that has introduced the use of the technology in the conduct of examination in the whole of Africa.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala, said the increasing rate of examination malpractice in the country is high.

"In the recent years, we have seen the multifarious manifestation of exam malpractices, from cheating in examination to contracting mercenaries to write exams, among others," he said.

Mr. Nwaobiala appealed to WAEC candidates to avoid situations that could implicate them in the examination hall, so that their future would not be jeopardized.