Nigeria’s House of Representatives has halted plans to introduce computer-based testing (CBT) for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2026, directing the education ministry and WAEC to postpone full rollout until the 2030 academic session at the earliest.
In a resolution passed on Thursday 13 November, the lawmakers mandated the Federal Ministry of Education and state governments to use the intervening years to recruit trained computer teachers, build ICT laboratories with reliable internet, install standby generators, and conduct a comprehensive audit of private schools’ readiness. The decision followed an urgent motion sponsored by Honourable Kelechi Nwogu, a Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Rivers State, who warned that a hurried transition risked “widespread failure, depression and even deaths” among candidates, particularly in rural areas with little or no access to electricity or computers.
Mr Nwogu cited recent technical failures on the 2025 WAEC results portal, which left thousands of candidates unable to access their grades for days and triggered widespread distress. He argued that replicating such glitches during live examinations involving nine compulsory subjects – unlike the four-subject format used by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) – would be catastrophic.
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“Out of the 25,500 secondary schools expected to present candidates in 2026, the majority, especially in rural communities, lack functional computers, trained ICT teachers and stable power supply,” he told the green chambers. The Lawmakers agreed that at least three to four years of systematic preparation were needed before the country could safely abandon the traditional paper-and-pencil format that has been in place for decades.
The resolution requires the ministry of education to report annually to parliament on progress, including budgetary allocations for 2026-2029 specifically earmarked for digital infrastructure in public schools. WAEC had announced plans earlier this year to phase in CBT from 2026, following JAMB’s largely successful adoption of the format for university entrance examinations.
Education analysts had opposed the hasty switch to CBT examinations, noting that Nigeria still ranks poorly in global digital readiness indices and that power outages remain a routine occurrence in many parts of the country.
