The Dean of the School of Environmental Studies at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Adesina Aladeloba, has launched a N1 million reward scheme aimed at discouraging examination malpractice among students.
The initiative, known as the “War Against Examination Crime (WAEC) Award,” is designed to recognise departments whose students complete an academic session without recording any examination misconduct.
Aladeloba explained on Monday in Lagos that the programme was his personal initiative and should not be confused with the West African Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council, despite sharing the same acronym.
He said the first edition of the award took place on June 24 after reviewing students’ behaviour and examination records across two semesters. Departments were considered eligible if none of their students appeared before the School Examination Malpractice Investigation Committee.
“The objective is to stop examination malpractice before it happens rather than concentrating only on punishment. When there are no cases, the committee has little or no work to handle,” he said.
According to the dean, two departments emerged winners from the seven departments assessed during the maiden edition. The Departments of Architecture and Transport Planning and Management jointly received the N1 million prize.
He noted that the money was handed over to the students’ associations of the winning departments instead of departmental heads, stressing that the award was meant to encourage students to uphold academic honesty.
“The award belongs to the students because they are the ones we want to motivate to maintain integrity during examinations,” he added.
Aladeloba described examination malpractice as a serious offence capable of causing long-term damage to society, warning that individuals who obtain qualifications through dishonest means may become professionals without the required competence.
He said fraudulent qualifications in fields such as medicine, engineering and construction could put human lives at risk, adding that institutions should prioritise prevention alongside enforcing penalties for offenders.
The dean expressed concern over the rising demand for certificates without corresponding skills, saying the trend had contributed to the spread of “miracle centres” where examination fraud is promoted.
He called on relevant government agencies to take stronger action against operators of such centres and ensure offenders face prosecution. He also advocated for greater focus on practical skills, competence and value creation rather than paper qualifications.
While commending government efforts towards skills development and vocational education, Aladeloba said the award scheme had already encouraged positive competition among students, with departments now motivating their members to maintain good conduct.
He expressed hope that other tertiary institutions would adopt similar programmes as part of broader efforts to strengthen academic integrity and reduce examination malpractice across Nigeria.
(NAN)