The House of Representatives has directed the immediate suspension of the planned adoption of computer-based tests, CBT, for the 2026 West African Secondary School examination by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Rivers state member Kelechi Nwogu.
The lawmaker says there is an urgent need for the House of Representatives to avert an impending massive failure of candidates intending to write the 2026 WAEC using the CBT, with the fear that the plan is capable of causing depression and death of students.
The House noted that despite the outcry by the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, Heads of Public and Private Schools in the country, especially those in the rural areas hosting over 70 per cent of students, the Ministry of Education and WAEC allegedly resolved to go ahead with the policy.
It insisted that CBT requires fully furnished halls with functional computers, Internet facility, national grid or a standby generating set.
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It therefore directed the suspension of the policy and mandated the federal ministry of education to include the cost of implementing computer-based tests in the 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 budgets and kick-start implementation in 2030.
TVC previously reported that the Federal Government has unveiled a major reform in Nigeria’s education sector with the transition of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from the traditional paper-and-pencil format to Computer-Based Testing (CBT).
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, CON, who described the reform as a bold step to strengthen examination credibility, reduce malpractice, and align Nigeria’s assessment system with global best practices.
