Education | Examinations
Key points
- Former JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede says parents are the main drivers of examination malpractice in Nigeria.
- He argues that many candidates are pressured into cheating by their parents in pursuit of academic success.
- Oloyede says the Mmesoma Ejikeme controversy was one of many similar cases handled by JAMB.
Main story
Former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede, has blamed parents for the growing incidence of examination malpractice, saying many introduce their children to fraudulent practices in pursuit of academic success.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Oloyede described parental involvement in examination fraud as the most disturbing aspect of his time at the examination body.
According to him, most candidates are not naturally inclined to cheat but are influenced or pressured by their parents.
He said parents who facilitate examination malpractice are exposing their children to criminal behaviour instead of instilling values of honesty and integrity.
Oloyede said he often became emotional when confronted with such cases because parents were compromising the future of the next generation for short-term academic gains.
The former JAMB registrar also reflected on the 2023 controversy involving Mmesoma Ejikeme, whose claimed UTME score of 362 was later found by JAMB to have been forged, with the board stating that her actual score was 249.
He said the incident became a national issue because of the publicity it attracted, stressing that JAMB had handled many similar cases before and after the controversy.
According to Oloyede, attempts to manipulate examination results are not new, noting that the board continued to encounter such cases even after the Mmesoma incident.
He also disclosed that he had no plans to write an autobiography, saying doing so would require revealing sensitive details from his years in public service.
The issues
Examination malpractice remains a major challenge in Nigeria’s education system, with increasing concerns about the role of parents, schools and technology in facilitating academic fraud. Oloyede’s remarks shift attention from students to the wider social pressures driving the problem.
What’s being said
“The most painful period of my experience in JAMB had to do with the level of involvement of parents in the organisation of examination malpractice.” — Ishaq Oloyede, former JAMB Registrar.
“They are introducing their wards, their children, to the world of crime… The problem are the parents.” — Ishaq Oloyede.
“Mmesoma was just sensationalised… We met more than 10 Mmesoma cases.” — Ishaq Oloyede.
What’s next
Education stakeholders are expected to continue efforts to strengthen examination integrity through stricter enforcement, technological safeguards and greater public awareness on the consequences of examination malpractice.
Bottom line
Oloyede argues that tackling examination malpractice requires addressing parental involvement, insisting that lasting reforms must focus not only on students but also on the adults who encourage dishonest practices.
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