The House of Representatives has halted the planned introduction of Computer-Based Testing for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, directing the Federal Ministry of Education and the West African Examinations Council to delay the rollout until 2030.
The resolution came after lawmakers unanimously adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Kelechi Wogu during Thursday’s plenary. Wogu argued that fast-tracking the CBT model without addressing infrastructural gaps could expose students to widespread failure and unnecessary psychological stress.
He noted that a significant majority of candidates sit the examination in rural and semi-urban areas, where schools lack the essential backbone for digital testing, including steady electricity, internet connectivity, functional computer laboratories, and trained ICT personnel. Recent glitches experienced on the 2025 WAEC results portal, he said, further demonstrated the system’s current limitations.
Wogu maintained that implementing a digital assessment model under such conditions would be “grossly premature,” especially given that many public schools do not have the required facilities to host candidates. He highlighted concerns raised by the National Union of Teachers and heads of schools who insist that most education centres are not yet ready for the transition.
To accelerate readiness, the House directed the Ministry of Education and state governments to factor into their 2026–2029 budget cycles the recruitment of ICT teachers, construction of computer halls, installation of internet infrastructure, and provision of alternative power sources. Relevant committees of the House were also mandated to interface with stakeholders and report back within four weeks.
WAEC had announced in 2024 its intention to fully migrate the WASSCE to CBT by 2026, a move that sparked mixed reactions. While advocates describe digital examinations as a pathway to transparency and modernisation, critics argue that Nigeria’s public school system remains grossly under-equipped for such a shift.
In September, WAEC issued a list of mandatory facilities schools must provide before adoption, including 250 functioning laptops with backup units, a server capable of supporting simultaneous activities, CCTV surveillance, uninterrupted power supply, air-conditioned testing halls, and a reception area for candidates.
CBT was first popularised in Nigeria by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which completed its transition in 2015. Other examination bodies have since experimented with partial digital assessments, but poor infrastructure, inconsistent power, and limited access to computers, particularly in rural areas, continue to pose significant challenges.
With the latest directive, the nationwide rollout of CBT for WASSCE will now be deferred until at least the 2030 academic year.
