By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Federal Government has announced plans to fully transition the conduct of school-based Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) by WAEC and NECO to the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format by 2026.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this disclosure on Tuesday after monitoring a pilot CBT SSCE conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) at Sascon International School in Maitama, Abuja.
Dr. Alausa commended NECO for the successful execution of the pilot exercise, stating that the move was part of broader reforms aimed at tackling examination malpractice and improving the integrity of Nigeria’s examination system.
“WAEC and NECO exams are school-based exams being conducted in schools. No, we will move away from that. It is going to be like JAMB — conducted in designated CBT centres,” the minister said.
He revealed that both private and public CBT centres across the country would be deployed for future exams. The plan, he said, would not only address infrastructural challenges faced by many schools but also expand opportunities for local entrepreneurs who have invested heavily in CBT infrastructure.
> “They \[CBT centres] should not just serve JAMB alone. They will now also serve WAEC and NECO. This will create jobs and grow a new value chain in our economy using homegrown technology,” Alausa added.
The minister noted that by November 2025, objective sections of WAEC and NECO exams will be fully computer-based, with full CBT implementation — including essay sections — to take effect in 2026.
Also speaking after monitoring the NECO exam at Government Secondary School, Maitama, NECO Registrar Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi affirmed the council’s readiness for a full transition to CBT.
“NECO is ready as a professional body to conduct examinations using any medium,” he said, while acknowledging infrastructure gaps in remote areas.
He called on state governments to invest in CBT facilities to support the national plan.
Wushishi revealed that a record-breaking 1,367,210 candidates registered for the 2025 SSCE — 685,551 male and over 681,300 female candidates.
Kano State recorded the highest number of candidates with over 137,000, while Kebbi State had the lowest with just over 5,000.
Notably, the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had the lowest registration overall with just eight candidates.
Meanwhile, Senator Ekong Samson, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), applauded the initiative and pledged continued legislative support for the digital transformation of Nigeria’s examination bodies.
“We are living in an age of technology. Nigeria must come to terms with global education standards. Whatever measures are needed to bring our education system up to par, we will support,” Samson said.
Also commenting, Hon. Oboku Oforji, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, praised NECO’s leadership for organizing a smooth and credible examination.
He emphasized the importance of the transition in ensuring the credibility and global recognition of Nigeria’s educational qualifications.
“We are very proud of what NECO is doing under Prof. Wushishi. We pray they sustain the momentum,” Oforji said after inspecting the ongoing exam at the Federal Government Boys College, Apo.
The shift to CBT for secondary school exams follows the success of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which has conducted all its examinations via CBT since 2015.
