FG assures inclusion of rural communities in WAEC, NECO CBT transition

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring no student is left behind as Nigeria transitions to computer-based testing (CBT) for national examinations, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Suwaiba Ahmad, Minister of State for Education, gave this assurance during a monitoring exercise of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in selected schools across Abuja on Tuesday.

She emphasized that the full transition to CBT for major examinations is planned for completion by 2026 and will include both urban and rural communities.

“No student, whether in a rural or urban setting, will be excluded from the CBT rollout,” Ahmad said.

“We are committed to making sure that every child has an equal opportunity to take their exams regardless of their location or access to infrastructure.”

The minister acknowledged the current technical and infrastructural limitations in some areas but stressed that government agencies are actively working to address these challenges.

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She cited her visit to both CBT and traditional paper-based examination centres as revealing, noting that CBT environments were more organized and efficient.

“At one CBT centre, everything was orderly and started on time, whereas at a paper-based centre, exams were delayed due to rain and scripts had not even arrived,” she said.

Ahmad noted that CBT offers several advantages, including a fairer examination process, as it ensures students receive their full allotted time — with the exam timer starting only when the student accesses their questions.

She also highlighted CBT’s potential to curb examination malpractice.

“With individualized sets of questions, the chances of impersonation, question leaks, and systemic cheating will be greatly reduced,” she added.

Despite these benefits, Ahmad admitted that logistical issues — such as unreliable electricity and poor internet access in rural areas — pose significant challenges to the nationwide rollout.

To address this, the Federal Ministry of Education is working closely with WAEC, NECO, JAMB, and other stakeholders.

The government plans to utilize JAMB’s existing CBT centres for future exams and collaborate with state governments to develop location-specific solutions.

“We will not use school-based centres for CBT, especially in rural areas without electricity,” Ahmad stated.

“For instance, the school we visited today lacks power in its exam hall. Conducting CBT there under current conditions would be impossible.”

She urged Nigerians to be patient with the transition process, assuring that the government is taking all concerns seriously to ensure no student is disadvantaged when the full CBT system is launched.