THE LAW ON EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE: THREAT TO EDUCATIONAL INTEGRITY AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The prevalence of examination malpractice in the Nigerian educational sector has become cancerous, voraciously eating away at the very soul of educational integrity and national development in Nigeria. From primary, secondary, and tertiary education levels, ignoble acts of malpractice are widespread. These incidents are often engineered by supposed policymakers and individuals regarded as gatekeepers within the educational sector. The multiplier effects of these corrupt practices are enormous, affecting educational integrity, reducing the quality of degrees and certificates awarded by Nigerian institutions, fostering the production of poorly trained graduates, and instilling a culture of dishonesty that undermines societal values and promotes the institutionalisation of corruption. In 2025, a notable Nigerian politician, Uche Nnaji, who was then the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, resigned following allegations of forging his academic credentials by claiming to have graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. This led the university to sanction its Deputy Registrar and Unit Head of Students’ Records and Institutional Research, I. A. S. Onyeador, for issuing a document falsely stating that the minister had graduated from the institution. In a letter dated by the Vice Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, it was confirmed that although the minister was admitted to the university in 1981, there was no record showing that he graduated in 1985.