In a decisive move to combat the growing menace of examination malpractice in Nigeria, the Federal Government has announced a nationwide rollout of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, disclosed this development through the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who described exam malpractice as “a cancer eating deep into our educational system.” He stated that the government is ready to adopt bold and technology-driven reforms to restore integrity and credibility to Nigeria’s examination processes.
According to the minister, the introduction of CBT for both WAEC and NECO will commence in phases and is part of broader efforts to digitize Nigeria’s education system, promote transparency, and curb malpractices that have plagued the conduct of public examinations for years.
“We are committed to reforming our examination structure. Computer-Based Testing has proven successful in JAMB and will now be extended to WAEC and NECO to eliminate human interference, impersonation, and other fraudulent activities,” Dr. Alausa said.
He further emphasized that while implementing the CBT model will require infrastructural investment and capacity building across schools, the government is working in partnership with stakeholders, including state governments, private sector players, and international development partners, to ensure a seamless transition.
Education experts have welcomed the move, calling it a step in the right direction, noting that past exam cycles have witnessed widespread cheating, leakages of question papers, and syndicate-driven fraud.
The planned CBT integration for WAEC and NECO marks a turning point in Nigeria’s quest to entrench merit-based assessment and educational credibility, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for revitalizing the sector.
Further details regarding timelines, pilot states, and stakeholder engagement are expected to be released by the Ministry of Education in the coming weeks.
