2026 CBT WAEC & NECO Not Feasible—NAPTAN Raises Concerns Over Readiness

2026 CBT WAEC & NECO Not Feasible — NAPTAN Raises Concerns Over Readiness

The federal government’s 2026 goal of a complete switch to computer-based tests (CBT) in West African Examinations Council or National Examination Council exams has been deemed unreasonable and unfeasible by Haruna Danjuma, national president of the Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria.

Recall that in April, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, ordered the WAEC and the NECO to make the complete switch to CBT by May or June 2026.

According to Alausa, the deployment would start with objective papers in November 2024 and be completed by 2026, encompassing both objective and essay portions.

Speaking about the situation with The PUNCH, Danjuma contended that state governments must make immediate investments in vital infrastructure in all of the nation’s schools if they are to meet this goal.

He stated that the Federal Capital Territory’s minister and the 36 governors would be responsible for providing all senior secondary schools with operational computer labs that are powered by solar energy in order to meet the goal.

In order to train the more than 70% of children who, he said, lack computer literacy, it would also be necessary to have teachers who are both digitally literate and computer literate.

According to Danjuma, the lack of such ability and infrastructure was much more pronounced in rural areas.

“It will only be feasible if the FCT Minister and the 36 state governors install operational computer labs that run on solar power in every senior secondary school. To train the pupil, they must also supply computer instructors or teachers,” he stated.

2026 CBT WAEC & NECO Not Feasible — NAPTAN Raises Concerns Over Readiness

More than 70% of pupils, particularly those in rural regions, lack computer literacy; therefore, I don’t think anything less than that will be feasible, Danjuma continued.

He cautioned that if the digital divide is not addressed, kids in underprivileged communities may become even more marginalized, and the validity of the tests may be compromised.

Nnamdi Ochi, the secretary of the University of Ibadan’s Education Rights Committee, also commented, calling the FG’s full CBT transfer mandate to examination boards by 2026 “motion without movement.”

In a statement provided to The PUNCH, Ochi stated that although CBT might enhance the way public exams are administered, the nation’s current educational system is not equipped to handle such a shift.

“We have also advocated for better learning environments for students, and the switch to computer-based exams for WAEC and NECO would be beneficial. But it is more than mere declarations. The facilities that are required must be established to prevent this from being another catastrophic collapse,” he stated.

He claims that Nigerian public education has been chronically neglected, with many secondary schools missing even the most basic facilities.

The nation is currently unable to make this shift and is far behind. Without any real and honest attempts on the part of the government to improve it, public education has continued to deteriorate over time. “Students are still studying under trees and in deteriorating buildings without any learning facilities or equipment—many public secondary schools lack classrooms,” he remarked.

2026 CBT WAEC & NECO Not Feasible — NAPTAN Raises Concerns Over Readiness

Additionally, he gave the example of JAMB, which continues to rely largely on privately owned computer centers to administer the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination more than ten years after implementing its own CBT transition. He claimed that this has led to ongoing logistical and technical problems for applicants.

“Under the current circumstances, switching to CBT for the WAEC and NECO exams will only cause further issues.” The federal government’s proclamation is not motivated by sincere concern for students,” Ochi stated.

He went on to say that the government needs to invest more funds in reviving public education and making it accessible and cheap for all residents if any significant progress is to be accomplished.

Involving students, parents, and educators through their associations and unions is another way to democratize the decision-making processes in the education sector, he stated.