The Federal Government’s plan to transition all national examinations including WAEC and NECO to full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026 is gaining momentum. But for many students, especially in rural and underfunded schools, the shift raises more questions than answers.
The Federal Ministry of Education on 22 July 2025, confirmed that all school-based Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) would be fully digitised within two years. The Ministry stated that the aim is to reduce malpractice, speed up grading, and align Nigeria’s education system with global digital standards.
“CBT will ensure faster processing, transparency, and reduce human error,” said Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, in a briefing. “WAEC and NECO will be supported with funds, infrastructure, and training to ensure smooth implementation.”
WAEC has already begun piloting CBT with private candidates in select centres. NECO is expected to follow by November 2025.
But not everyone is ready.
Rita Gaba, a student who spoke with Fairview Africa, said she feels unprepared:
“Me I prefer they should use biro and paper because not everybody can buy a computer. Some students like me, I don’t know how to operate the computer. I think people using computer will fail more than people using pen and paper. With biro and paper, I can remember what I want to write, but computer is computerised you just go type. I prefer biro and paper.”
At Tilla Gyade College in Benue State, secondary school teacher Mrs Kundo Judith expressed cautious support.
“CBT will help reduce malpractice, but we must first fix our learning environment. Many schools lack qualified teachers and materials. You can’t expect students to pass strict exams if they haven’t been properly taught,” she said. “In our village schools, a government-owned college may have just one staff member. The rest are hired by the PTA and poorly paid. If we focus only on exams without fixing teaching, we’re setting students up to fail.”
Principal Idris Ibrahim of Ado Secondary School in Nasarawa added,
“This policy means every student must be computer literate. But right now, 80 percent of our students don’t know how to use a computer. We need time and support to train them. Some of them have never even seen one.”
A 2025 education infrastructure report by The Guardian found that only 29 percent of public secondary schools have functional computer labs. In several rural areas, many schools lack even basic ICT facilities. The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), in a 2024 status review, revealed that less than 50 percent of public primary and junior secondary schools have access to digital tools or ICT-trained staff.
The power situation adds to the challenge. The World Bank’s 2025 Energy Progress Report shows that over 86 million Nigerians nearly 39 percent of the population still lack access to the national power grid. Without reliable electricity, running CBT exams across all schools remains a major hurdle.
Education unions and civil society groups have urged caution. The National Union of Teachers and the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) have warned that rushing into CBT without addressing infrastructure will deepen educational inequality.
According to Haruna Danjuma, National President of the Parents‑Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN):
“The 2026 deadline is unrealistic. Many public secondary schools lack power, internet access, or computers. The government must not gamble with the future of millions of students.”
In a June 2025 House of Representatives hearing, lawmakers openly challenged the policy. Hon. Abia Nte said,
“There are entire LGAs in Nigeria without a single CBT centre. Pushing forward without fixing that is exclusionary.”
Education consultant Dr Chinyere Nwosu told Vanguard:
“Without equitable preparation, the CBT rollout could amount to systemic exclusion. The risk is not just failure but mass dropout.”
Despite widespread concerns over infrastructure, NECO has reaffirmed its readiness to conduct its school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) using Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026.
“NECO is ready as a professional body to conduct examinations using any medium. We may have infrastructure challenges, but that will not hold us back,” said Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, Registrar of NECO, during a press briefing in Abuja. “We are calling on state governments to support us by investing in CBT infrastructure.”
This year’s NECO SSCE recorded the highest number of candidates in the council’s history, with 1,367,210 students registered. Of this figure, 685,551 were male, while over 681,300 were female.
Kano State topped the chart with over 137,000 registered candidates, while Kebbi State had the lowest turnout with just a little above 5,000. The Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, recorded the smallest centre, registering only eight students.
