The Federal Authorities’s directive to transition the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Nationwide Examinations Council (NECO) to full Laptop-Primarily based Testing (CBT) by 2026 has stirred reactions throughout Nigeria’s training sector.
Whereas the initiative is seen by some as a step in the direction of digital development, critics argue that the nation’s faculties, significantly in rural areas, are nowhere close to prepared for the abrupt transition.
The plan, unveiled by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, outlines that every one goal questions might be administered through CBT ranging from November 2025.
By Might/June 2026, each WAEC and NECO examinations, together with essay and idea papers, might be carried out totally on pc platforms.
In keeping with the Minister, the purpose is to curb examination malpractice and align Nigeria’s training evaluation with worldwide digital requirements.
However the transfer has sparked widespread concern about feasibility, infrastructure gaps, digital literacy, and the overall readiness of colleges.
“We’re dashing into failure” — Schooling skilled warns
A senior lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Dr. Felix Echekoba, chatting with Nairametrics, described the choice as hasty and disconnected from Nigeria’s on-ground realities.
“We’re in an excessive amount of of a rush. That is precisely how the 6-3-3-4 training system collapsed — no correct groundwork was accomplished earlier than rollout,” he stated.
He went additional to hyperlink the coverage to a broader decline in instructional outcomes, citing the current drop in Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) cut-off marks as proof.
“Years in the past, the JAMB cut-off mark was 200 and above. At this time, we’re speaking about 190 and in some instances even decrease and but, many college students nonetheless wrestle to fulfill it. That alone ought to let you know one thing in regards to the state of our training. Now you need to swap to CBT throughout the board with out fixing the inspiration?”
He expressed fears that the identical destiny awaits the CBT initiative if the federal government fails to put a stable basis earlier than implementation.
How will CBT work with no electrical energy, no computer systems?
Dr. Echekoba drew consideration to the absence of fundamental infrastructure in lots of public faculties. He questioned the viability of conducting computer-based exams when most colleges don’t have entry to regular electrical energy, web entry or functioning pc labs.
“Most public faculties in Nigeria don’t have electrical energy, web, not to mention computer systems or skilled ICT workers. CBT requires energy, web, and digital literacy. These are nonetheless luxuries in many faculties, particularly exterior the city centres,” he stated.
In keeping with Dr. Echekoba, some personal faculties, in an try to organize for the digital shift, have begun mandating dad and mom to purchase laptops for his or her kids.
He criticized the federal government for putting duty on dad and mom and faculties with out first constructing nationwide infrastructure.
The principal of a authorities secondary faculty in Ebonyi State, Mr. Fidelis Okoro (Not actual title), provided a extra optimistic however cautious view in an interview with Nairametrics.
In keeping with him, the implementation of CBT might be profitable if restricted to goal questions alone.
“Full implementation might not be attainable. Topics are voluminous. What would they do with practicals, diagrams, specimens, and different visible components? Not all topics may be adequately examined utilizing solely computer-based codecs,” he famous.
The principal famous that state governments may step in to offer faculties with computer systems, however warned towards putting the burden on dad and mom.
“Some dad and mom in rural areas don’t even personal Android telephones. How can they afford laptops or desktop programs for his or her kids?” he requested. “Directing each mum or dad to carry a pc system isn’t reasonable,” he famous.
Mr. Okoro identified that many secondary faculties in Nigeria have fewer than 300 college students, making a phased or school-based CBT setup doubtlessly manageable.
He additionally famous that many public secondary faculties have already employed pc academics, so coaching capability isn’t the first downside. As a substitute, infrastructure and accessibility stay the larger challenges.
Safety and timing pose recent challenges
Dr. Echekoba raised security issues in regards to the dangers concerned in conducting CBT exams at centralized centres, particularly as college students are required to depart their houses as early as 4:00 or 5:00 a.m.
He referenced the not too long ago concluded 2025 UTME, the place candidates had been anticipated to reach at centres by 6:30 a.m., regardless of Nigeria’s rising insecurity challenges.
“You’ll be able to’t ask kids to depart their houses by 6:30 a.m. in right this moment’s safety local weather simply to take a seat for an examination,” Echekoba warned.
He additionally recounted experiences from current CBT centres used for UTME, the centres wrestle with delays and technical points throughout the exams.
On addressing safety dangers and logistical constraints, Mr. Okoro proposed a scalable answer, the federal government set up CBT centres in each native authorities space to scale back journey dangers.
“If the federal government insists on utilizing CBT centres, they have to scale back journey dangers by increasing entry. Every native authorities space ought to have not less than ten CBT centres, every geared up with over 500 computer systems. That method, a number of faculties can conduct their exams concurrently with out overcrowding or lengthy journey distances,” he famous.
“CBT centres can’t deal with WAEC’s quantity” — School principal
A Lagos state secondary faculty principal Mr. Sunday Akintunde (not actual title), expressed his reservations in regards to the implementation.
He famous that current CBT centres, designed primarily for JAMB, lack the capability to deal with the amount of WAEC or NECO candidates.
“WAEC isn’t just for metropolis faculties. College students in rural faculties, with no computer systems or energy provide, additionally write this examination. CBT centres throughout Nigeria are merely not constructed to host such numbers without delay,” he stated.
He defined that whereas JAMB’s mannequin permits for staggered scheduling over a number of days, WAEC exams are written concurrently nationwide.
“WAEC and NECO are obligatory achievement assessments that each scholar in SS3 writes them. JAMB is completely different; not each scholar writes it, and it’s accomplished in batches. So, you may’t evaluate the planning and coordination required to conduct the exams or scale,” Akintunde stated.
Will CBT eradicate malpractice?
Whereas the Ministry of Schooling sees CBT as an answer to widespread examination malpractice, each Echekoba and Akintunde disagree.
Mr. Akintunde warned that Laptop-Primarily based Testing (CBT) doesn’t eradicate examination malpractice, noting that college students can nonetheless cheat via browsers.
“CBT isn’t resistant to dishonest. College students can nonetheless entry exterior assist throughout exams. We’ve seen instances the place they open browsers, swap tabs, and even use cellphones throughout CBT classes,” he stated.
He famous that stopping malpractice requires extra than simply altering the examination format. “Expertise can assist, sure, however with out self-discipline, supervision, and accountability, dishonest will persist.”
Dr. Echekoba went even additional, warning that CBT may worsen malpractice.
“What occurs now’s that college students contact ‘equipment’, people employed to put in writing exams for them. With on-line programs, it might even develop into simpler for these individuals to take advantage of loopholes. We’ve seen it occur,” he stated.
The consultants referred to as for a extra tailor-made and inclusive implementation technique, one which acknowledges the variety of college sizes, digital readiness, and socio-economic realities throughout Nigeria.
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