The Federal Government has maintained that all public examinations in Nigeria will move fully to computer-based testing (CBT) by 2026, despite growing calls for a slower transition. Officials say the policy is necessary to restore credibility to Nigerian certificates, which are increasingly being questioned by foreign institutions due to rampant malpractice.
The plan, announced by the Ministry of Education and backed by WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB, has drawn mixed reactions. At a recent meeting in Abuja, lawmakers urged caution, warning that the hasty rollout could endanger the academic future of millions of students.
Senator Ekong Sampson, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, said implementing the system nationwide without adequate preparation “may create more problems than it solves.” Senator Victor Umeh also called for a hybrid approach, noting that the scale of WAEC examinations is far larger than JAMB’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which already runs CBT.
House of Representatives member Oboku Oforji (Bayelsa State) suggested establishing at least one CBT centre in each of the 774 local government areas to guarantee fairness and accessibility before 2026.
In response, WAEC’s head of National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, said the council was taking a phased approach, starting with objective questions before expanding to theory and practicals. He assured lawmakers that equity and accessibility remain central to the rollout.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa insisted that the reform was non-negotiable, arguing that digital examinations would curb malpractice, speed up result processing, and restore international confidence in Nigerian qualifications. A 17-member high-level committee chaired by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has already endorsed the 2026 deadline after months of consultation.
While education associations such as the Confederation of Principals of Public Schools and the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools expressed support, they stressed that adequate infrastructure, reliable power supply, and digital training for teachers and students must be secured first.
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The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) was more critical. Its president, Comrade Audu Amba, argued that focusing only on CBT misses the deeper problem: a system that prizes certificates over competence, thereby encouraging malpractice. Parents’ groups also warned that rushing the policy could lead to mass failures unless new centres are built nationwide.
Reports of widespread exam leakages, bribed supervisors, and “special centres” during the last WAEC examinations have further damaged the credibility of Nigerian certificates. This has led foreign universities and employers to impose extra screening and tests on Nigerian applicants, creating what government officials now describe as a “national embarrassment.”
Despite the concerns, the Ministry of Education has ruled out any postponement. By 2026, WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB are expected to fully abandon paper-based exams in favour of CBT.
The debate now hinges on whether Nigeria can overcome its digital and infrastructural shortcomings in time to make the reform both credible and inclusive.
