The poor performance of Nigerian students in national examinations, such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, has become a worrying trend that shows no signs of ending. Between 2005 and 2013, the WAEC results reveal a disturbing trend. In 2006, only 15.56% of candidates passed with five credits, including English and Maths. Even in 2013, when the figure rose to 44.66%, experts say this “improvement” is misleading. Many believe it was due to examination malpractice, rather than improved learning.
Professor Ngozi Osarenren of the University of Lagos blames the system. She says many schools lack sufficiently qualified teachers. “Some schools have only one Mathematics teacher for over a thousand students,” she said. She also noted that some teachers do not even understand the topics they are supposed to teach. The situation is worse in NECO. In 2011, only 20% passed English and just 34% got credit in Maths. Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, then JAMB Registrar, confirmed that cheating has become more advanced with mobile phones and leaked examination papers.
Experts say the problems go deeper. Schools lack proper learning facilities. Students have a weak reading culture. There is a lack of focus on teacher training. Worse still, society values certificates more than knowledge, prompting many students to cheat to pass. Until Nigeria truly invests in education—not just by funding, but by improving teacher quality, infrastructure, and discipline—the exam failures will continue. As one expert put it, “We cannot expect palm wine if we have not tapped the tree.”
Leave feedback about this