Inscribe NIN, DOB, photograph on certificates, FG directs WAEC, NECO, others

The Federal Government has directed the public examination bodies to henceforth inscribe three identifiers, namely National Identification Number (NIN), Date of Birth with photograph embossed in each certificate result issued to qualified candidates who sit their various examinations.

Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, gave the directive on Thursday in Abuja during inauguration of a committee to work on migration of examinations conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO), and National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), among others, from current paper-based examination to Computer Based Test (CBT), in the next three years.

He announced that by 2027 there would be full migration from paper-based examination to CBT, leveraging on technology to enhance the quality of examinations in the country.

Alausa declared war against examination malpractices, while also urging members of the committee to come up with strategies to tackle the menace, especially elimination of examination leakages causing national embarrassment.

The committee which has Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede as the chairman was given up to June this year to submit report.

The Minister lamented the rising cases of examination malpractices and identity theft, saying engraving NIN, Date of Birth and picture of candidates in certificates results issued to them would tremendously reduce some these unwholesome practices.

He described as unfortunate situations where parents, teachers, principals of schools and school owners collude to help students cheat in examinations.

Speaking on terms of reference of the committee, Alausa said government had to look at the entire ecosystem of examinations in the country, because there are various players in examination malpractices.

“We have the students, we also have the parents contributing to the exams malpractices, encouraging their children.

“We have the teachers, we have the principals of schools as well, and also we have people supervising these exams and we are targeting all of these areas,” he said.

The six terms of reference for this committee are: One, to eliminate exam leakages in the country; two, identify the problem of examination identity theft, and provide a solution on how we can eliminate that.

The third area that the committee will be working on is to migrate the exam from current paper-based examination to computer-based testing, CBT, in the next three years.

“We’re planning that in the next three years all our exams will be computer-based. That’s 2027, that’s our plan, and we will work so hard to make sure that happens. We have to use technology to help our endeavour.

“The committee will also be working on local swapping of candidates. They will also be working on enhancing examination quality supervision. We’ll come up with guidelines on who can supervise exams.

“I have mandated all the registrars of our examination bodies that by the end of this year, by their next exam, actually, for WAEC, NECO, NAPTEB, anybody that by their next exam, which will happen May, June, July, there will be three identifiers on the certificates they give out on the exam results.

“Those identifiers will be, number one, the National Identification Number of the candidates. Number two, the picture of the candidate must be embossed on the certificates. And number three, their date of birth,” he stated.