Engr. Olawunmi Gasper, former LASTVEB Executive Secretary
Stakeholders at the 2025 EWAN Education Summit in Lagos have warned that Nigeria’s fixation on paper qualifications is undermining real competence and fueling widespread malpractice.
Speaking at the event, themed “Nigeria’s Obsession with Paper Qualification and Integrity of Public Examinations: Is TVET the Way Forward?”, former LASTVEB Executive Secretary, Engr. Olawunmi Gasper, said the country’s certificate-driven culture has eroded integrity and weakened productivity.
He noted that the system now glorifies certificates over skills, innovation and character, creating room for malpractice and weakening national development.
He stressed that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) must be elevated as a mainstream pathway, not a fallback option, and commended ongoing federal reforms to strengthen technical education.
EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, also called for stronger assessment systems, better infrastructure, and improved CBT adoption to drive credibility.
UNILAG Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Foluso Lesi, representing the Vice Chancellor, warned that degrees without competence are “worth nothing,” adding that societal pressure to earn certificates at any cost continues to drive cheating.
Panellists from NECO and WAEC echoed concerns over poor preparation, weak foundational learning and structural gaps. They called for curriculum reform, teacher retraining and sustained investment in practical skills.
