The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have issued a strong warning to examination officials against engaging in malpractices during national examinations.
The warning was given during a two-day in-house capacity-building workshop for senior staff of NABTEB held in Benin City. The training, themed “Building a Culture of Integrity in the Examination System in Nigeria,” was organised in collaboration with the ICPC to strengthen ethical standards and transparency in the examination process.
Delivering his opening remarks, the Registrar and Chief Executive of NABTEB, Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, said the initiative aims to reinforce staff integrity and accountability, particularly among senior officers involved in the conduct of examinations.
Mohammed stressed that timely payment of Basic Transport Allowance (BTA) and other entitlements is one of the best deterrents against staff involvement in examination malpractice.
According to him, “Examination is around the corner. I want to assure you that our staff must get their BTA before they move out of the office, unless there is an emergency.
“When we talk about integrity, someone traveling to supervise exams for several days without money for transportation or for family upkeep faces a clear opportunity for corruption.
“But when he gets his allowances before going, it will be very difficult for someone to entice him with something,” he said.
The NABTEB boss commended staff who had previously rejected bribe offers during examinations, saying their honesty serves as an example for others. He added that greater ethical conduct is expected from those participating in upcoming examinations.
He noted that the purpose of the collaboration with ICPC is to educate, interact with, and guide NABTEB staff on the best ethical practices in examination management.
“I want to thank ICPC for always identifying with us. We thank you for partnering with us. To my colleagues in NABTEB, this training is very important to us. There are only three key issues in any examination body, credibility, integrity, and record-keeping.
“I want to plead with us that our individual roles in the discharge of our responsibilities are very important. I agree that we cannot have 100 percent, but let’s work toward it. Let everybody know what you are doing so they can also make an input.
“It is now your turn for ICPC to interact with you. They are here to educate us. Our duty now is to listen carefully as they guide us on our examination process—what we are supposed to do and what we are not supposed to do.
“I want to urge us to listen very well, look at our examination process. They will tell us what we are supposed to do and what we are not supposed to do, so that when we get to the examination point, we will not have problems,” he added.
Presenting a lecture on “Offences and Punishments under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000,” ICPC Assistant Chief Superintendent, Dennis Nnaemeka Okoro, warned that corruption poses a severe threat to Nigeria’s economic, social, and political stability.
Okoro said examination malpractice is not just an ethical issue but a criminal act that compromises the credibility of assessments and public trust.
He explained that combating malpractice requires a holistic approach that secures the entire examination process, not just the prevention of individual acts of cheating.
He added that any public officer who demands or accepts property or favours unlawfully violates the ICPC Act and faces up to seven years’ imprisonment if found guilty.
“There’s a need for robust measures to protect the examination system. This requires not only strict enforcement of rules but also the development of a culture of integrity within educational institutions.
“Examination malpractice is broadly defined as any undesirable conduct by students or supervisors that violates established norms before, during, or after an examination.
“This includes actions that contravene the rules governing assessments, undermine fairness and integrity in the examination process, and violate procedures from exam setting and administration to grading and certificate issuance.
“Examination integrity is essential for maintaining fairness, credibility, and trust in any educational or assessment system. Upholding exam integrity ensures that results accurately reflect learners’ true knowledge, skills, and effort, which benefits both individuals and society at large,” he stated.
