The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has advocated stricter computer-based testing as part of efforts to tackle examination malpractice in centres popularly described as “miracle centres.” A WAEC official in Makurdi, Mr Timothy Manga, made the recommendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. Manga said growing concerns about examination malpractice remained a threat to the credibility of public examinations and educational certificates.
He said allegations about the existence of “miracle centres” in Benue State were worrying, although WAEC had not officially confirmed any school operating in that manner. According to him, schools should be recognised for the quality of education they provide rather than their ability to facilitate examination malpractice.
“Any system that rewards students for cheating undermines those who have worked hard to prepare for examinations,” Manga said.
He stressed that examination outcomes should reflect candidates’ knowledge, preparation and competence rather than access to unauthorised assistance. Manga added that WAEC would continue monitoring developments and would act if credible information emerged about schools facilitating malpractice.
A teacher with NKST Secondary School, Makurdi, Mrs Rebecca Ezekiel, supported the adoption of stronger measures to reduce schools’ influence over external examinations. Ezekiel suggested that independent examination centres could give WAEC and the National Examinations Council, NECO, greater control over examination venues and personnel. She said candidates should ideally sit examinations under conditions independent of the schools where they receive classroom instruction.
According to her, CBT systems could strengthen control over examination environments while reducing opportunities for interference. She also recommended the wider use of biometric verification and Closed-Circuit Television, CCTV, surveillance. The technologies, she said, could improve candidate identification and strengthen monitoring during examinations.
However, a school proprietor in Otukpo Local Government Area, Mr Jude Odeh, cautioned against automatically labelling schools as “miracle centres” simply because they admit candidates in their final secondary school year.
Odeh said he had heard claims about such centres in Benue but had not identified any specific school operating as one. He explained that parents sometimes transfer their children between schools for several reasons, including the cost of examination registration and school fees.
According to him, some schools charge high examination-related fees, which can make the combined cost of education and registration difficult for families to afford. Odeh nevertheless acknowledged that some schools in Benue do not admit fresh students into SS3. He said such schools only register students who progressed from SS2 for external examinations.
The debate has renewed attention on CBT exam malpractice and the need for stronger safeguards around public examinations. While WAEC continues to monitor allegations of malpractice, stakeholders have called for technology, independent examination arrangements and tighter supervision to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
