…focuses on fraudulent examination registrations

The Zamfara State Government has declared that its 2026 examination verification exercise, implemented by the Zamfara Information Technology Development Agency (ZITDA), has recovered the State over ₦525 million by eliminating fraudulent and ineligible registrations for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

This was stated by the Executive Secretary Zamfara Information Technology Development Agency (ZITDA) Dr. Habib Abubakar Gajam, while briefing the State Governor Dauda Lawal on the outcome of the verification exercise recently conducted by the Agency.

The briefing was graced by officials of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the principals of public secondary schools across the State.

According to Dr. Gajam, the Three-Tier Verification Framework introduced for the 2026 examination cycle significantly improves the credibility of the State’s examination registration process through physical verification, centralized data analytics, and post-Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) identity validation.

The exercise discovered and addressed longstanding irregularities within the system, resulting in a reduction in the total number of registered candidates from 52,394 in 2025 to 37,352 in 2026.

The reduction of 15,042 candidates represents a 28.71 percent decrease in registrations and is projected to save the State government about ₦525.326 million.

A breakdown of the figures indicated that WAEC registrations dropped from 26,048 to 18,935, representing a 27.31 per cent reduction, while NECO registrations declined from 26,197 to 18,313, accounting for a 30.10 per cent reduction. Similarly, NABTEB registrations decreased from 149 candidates in 2025 to 104 in 2026, a reduction of 30.20 per cent.

Gajam noted that the ZITDA verification process exposed several forms of examination malpractice and data integrity issues, including the use of identical passport photographs by multiple candidates, blurred or manipulated photographs intended to conceal identities, and the registration of candidates from non-operational schools under recognized examination centres.

Among the schools identified in the exercise were Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Waramu, GDSS Baraya Zaki, and GDSS Sabon Birni, where irregularities involving candidate registrations were detected.

Speaking during the briefing, Governor Lawal reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to accountability, accurate management of public resources, and restoring confidence in the education sector.

The Governor directed all school principals across the State to maintain the highest standards of integrity and ensure full compliance with future examination registration guidelines.

He emphasized that the initiative goes beyond reducing candidate numbers, noting that it is aimed at safeguarding public funds, promoting fairness for genuine students, and establishing a transparent, technology-driven education system in Zamfara State.

He further promised that ZITDA will continue collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to strengthen education data management across public secondary schools, describing the exercise as a major step toward ensuring that data-driven decision-making and accountability remain central to educational reforms in the State.