Former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has blamed parents rather than students for the persistent challenge of examination malpractice in Nigeria, saying many candidates are drawn into fraudulent practices through the influence and actions of their parents.
Oloyede, who recently concluded a decade-long tenure widely praised for introducing technology-driven reforms and strengthening the credibility of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), made the remarks during an interview on ThisDay Live on Sunday.
Under his leadership, JAMB introduced measures such as biometric verification, Computer-Based Testing (CBT), tighter monitoring of examination centres and tougher sanctions against offenders, significantly reducing examination fraud and restoring public confidence in the admission process.
Reflecting on his years in office, Oloyede described parents’ involvement in examination malpractice as the most painful experience of his tenure.
According to him, many parents go to great lengths to secure admission opportunities for their children, even when it means encouraging dishonest and criminal behaviour.
“The most painful period of my experience in JAMB had to do with the level of involvement of parents in organisation of examination malpractice,” he said.
He lamented that instead of teaching integrity and hard work, some parents introduce their children to fraudulent practices at an early stage.
“They are introducing their wards, their children to the world of criminality,” he added.
The former JAMB registrar maintained that most candidates are not naturally inclined to cheat, insisting that parents are often the driving force behind examination fraud.
“I have no difficulty. I think most of the candidates are not problematic. They are not the problem. The problem is the parents,” Oloyede said.
He revealed that he was frequently overwhelmed by the extent to which some parents were willing to manipulate the examination process, describing the situation as both heartbreaking and dangerous for the country’s future.
“Every time I was confronted with the reality of what parents were doing, I became very emotional because I just felt, how on earth will people hate themselves and hate their future to this level?” he said.
Oloyede stressed that parents have a responsibility to build strong moral values in their children rather than passing down negative behaviours.
He urged families to embrace honesty and integrity, warning that efforts to secure academic success through malpractice only undermine the future of the children they seek to help.
The education administrator noted that the fight against examination malpractice cannot be won by examination bodies alone, stressing that parents, schools and society must work together to promote merit, discipline and ethical values in Nigeria’s education system.
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