The current examination debacle ravaging Nigeria has once again highlighted how far we are from achieving development. It tells us that there is yet no firm foundation for the various aspirations being expressed by the nation about joining other countries in the march to a nation-state founded on dignity and fairness.
These developments have revealed how much we have yet to do to address the challenge of examination leakage that has lasted for nearly half a century and stunted the quality of Nigeria’s educational system. What has happened in the conduct of this year’s examinations – both JAMB and WAEC- deserves to be called Expo 2025!
This is an ugly reminder of an equally distasteful mass leakage in the conduct of the West African School Certificate Examination in 1977. That year’s examination leakage was so massive that all the papers were “compromised,” using WAEC’s terminology. Several versions of examination papers were flying around schools. The scale of leakage was so massive that, in all probability, no single paper was spared.
That year’s leakage was such that even WAEC itself acknowledged its pervasive nature. Turning that incident into a literary work, Prof. Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike, WAEC’s registrar at the time, produced his thriller titled Expo 77.
Ike’s account of the 1977 national calamity, which he turned into a detective novel to unravel the intricate network responsible for the crisis, established the fact that examination leakage was the handiwork of a network, a criminal gang that feeds on greed and avarice.
This year’s exam malpractice approximates the 1977 edition in many ways. Interestingly, WAEC has finally admitted that its English Language paper for this year was compromised, a euphemism for examination leakage. This admission came out during its officials’ interactions with Nigeria’s House of Representatives, following the legislators’ invitation to the council. The council’s initial response and apology for the delay in the conduct of that examination were carefully worded to avoid the issue of leakage.
Perhaps this revelation would not have happened if that paper had not ended so late at night in many parts of the country. It ended late because the examination did not take off as scheduled that day, a development that parents and guardians of candidates would attest to.
It was so late in some places that at many locations, candidates had to write the examination with candlelight. The nationwide outrage that followed the portrayal of Nigeria’s image led the Representatives to summon the council to ask why that was so.
This is happening 48 years after Expo 77. That WAEC has failed to find a solution to this problem is a minus for it. The leakage of examination papers reduces the authenticity of the results of such an examination, despite whatever remedial steps the examination body takes afterwards.
These incidents paint a picture of a troubled nation. Consider again the hacking of JAMB’s system, for whatever reason, to alter or manipulate questions or candidates’ results. That fiasco would have passed just like that, but for the disturbingly high level of failure. While JAMB has conducted rescheduled exams to seemingly correct the distortions, the scars are still visible. Many candidates and their parents have accepted whatever results the children eventually received.
WAEC, as an institution, is old enough to find ways to prevent the leakage of its examination papers. WAEC should look in the mirror and ask itself why it cannot fulfill the reason for its existence. You are not just in existence to conduct exams; the exams must be credible. Your position in society demands this responsibility. Your officials, from the Registrar to the least staff, should read Ike’s Expo 77.
If your officials leak the examination questions, there will be millions of people, both students and parents, out there who will jump at it. It’s simple. That is Say’s Law of the Market: Supply creates its demand.
The nation is working toward creating a society of good men and women, boys and girls. But we are not there yet, as everyone knows. Not every young person would see the examination question that he or she is part of and turn away. Therefore, WAEC should not tempt Nigerians and indeed other nationals under its coverage. The burden of stopping examination leakage rests with WAEC in the first instance
The larger society also must take part in this situation. Today, there could be many beneficiaries of examination leakages, who are walking the corridors of power at different levels and enjoying all the accolades of power and positions. Perhaps, the sorry state of Nigeria today may be because such persons are in authority and wielding power.
Therefore, WAEC and all other examination bodies in Nigeria owe this country a duty to uphold the utmost standard in educational or academic certification. Nobody should carry a certificate different from what they earned in an examination.
