The national president of the Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria, Haruna Danjuma, has described the Federal Government’s 2026 target for a full transition to Computer-Based Testing in West African Examinations Council or National Examination Council examinations as unrealistic and impractical.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, had in April mandated the WAEC and the NECO to fully transition to CBT by May/June 2026.
Alausa had stated that the rollout would begin with objective papers in November 2024, before full implementation—covering both objective and essay sections—by 2026.
Speaking with The PUNCH on the development, Danjuma argued that such a target cannot be met unless state governments urgently invest in critical infrastructure in schools across the country.
For the target to be met, he said it would be incumbent on the 36 governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to supply all senior secondary schools with functional computer laboratories powered by solar.
He added that there would also be the need to have digitally literate teachers as well as computer instructors to train over 70 per cent of students, which he stated, are not computer literate.
Danjuma noted that such infrastructure and capacity were even more lacking in rural areas.
“It can only be practicable if the 36 state governors and the FCT Minister provide all senior secondary schools with functional computer laboratories powered by solar energy. They must also provide computer instructors/teachers to train the student,” he said.
“Anything short of that, I don’t think it will be possible, because over 70 per cent of students—especially those in rural areas—are not computer literate,” Danjuma added.
He warned that failure to address the digital divide could further marginalise students in underserved communities and undermine the credibility of the examinations.
Also commenting, the Secretary, Education Rights Committee, University of Ibadan, Nnamdi Ochi, described the FG’s full CBT transition mandate to examination bodies by 2026 as another instance of “motion without movement.”
Ochi, in a statement made available to The PUNCH, said while CBT could improve the mode of conducting public examinations, the country’s current education infrastructure cannot support such a transition.
“We have also campaigned for improved conditions of learning for students, and WAEC and NECO transitioning into a computer-based examination would be an improvement. However, it goes beyond empty proclamations. For this not to be another colossal failure, the necessary facilities must be put in place,” he said.
According to him, public education in Nigeria has suffered from chronic neglect, with many secondary schools lacking even basic infrastructure.
“Presently, the country is far behind and incapable of this transition. Over the years, public education has continued to wallow in decay, without any genuine and sincere effort by the government to uplift it. Many public secondary schools lack classrooms—students are still studying under trees and in dilapidated structures without any learning facilities or equipment,” he said.
He also cited the example of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which over a decade after its own CBT transition, still depends heavily on privately-owned computer centres to conduct the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, a situation, he said, has contributed to persistent technical and logistical issues for candidates.
“A transition to CBT for WAEC and NECO exams will only create more problems under the current conditions. The proclamation by the Federal Government is not driven by genuine concern for students,” Ochi said.
He added that for any real progress to be made, the government must channel more resources into revitalising public education and making it affordable and accessible to all citizens.
“There is also a need to democratise the decision-making structures in the education sector by involving students, parents, and education workers through their associations and unions,” he said.
