Echono, who was represented by Mr Kolli Salihu, Assistant Director, Exam Ethics and Campus Safety, said examination malpractices in Nigeria had turned into a monster destroying education and other sectors of the economy.

He noted that promoting best practices in the education sector was an extraordinary task that required collective efforts and responsibilities.

According to him, the ministry is deeply worried about the integrity of our certificates globally.

“This explained why the ministry had shown interest in the area of collaborations with relevant stakeholders like ICPC, EFCC, DSS, the police and EEMI to stamp out the ugly trend.

“The ministry has also demonstrated through its parastatal, JAMB and TRCN, that Nigeria could be able to have credible and reliable examination and assessment system when all stakeholders express concern.

” It is also interesting to note that the Federal Ministry of Education through the exam ethics desk in collaboration with all relevant exams bodies has developed monitoring instruments.

“This has been attested to be of an international standard and has been successfully used to monitor exams in JAMB, NECO, TRCN and NTI,” he said.

Echono, however, pledged the ministry’s readiness to support any of its agencies and parastatals to ensure they confront the syndicate in the examination industry.

Meanwhile, Mr Ike Onyechere, Founder, EEMI, said exam malpractices had contributed to the systemic corruption the country was facing which had led to unemployment, xenophobia, among others.

”Exam malpractice has since gone beyond being a matter of indiscretion by students trying to secure unfair advantage to pass examinations.

”It is now an organised criminal enterprise with ready marketing, willing and conniving parents and school operators.

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”It is akin to money laundering, smuggling, human trafficking, kidnapping and operated by business syndicates whose core business is to make money by compromising examination systems in primary, secondary and tertiary education.”

Also speaking, Prof. Abednego Ekoko, Chairman, Board of Trustees, EEMI, stressed the need for political will and courage to implement sanctions against exam malpractice, saying lack of sanctions swelled the ranks of perpetrators.