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FG Insists On Transitioning WAEC, NECO To Computer Based Testing
The Federal Government has declared that there will be no going back on the full transition of the National Examinations Council (NECO), West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and other public examination bodies from paper-pencil to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode of examination by 2026.
Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, stated this during the monitoring of the pilot CBT Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by NECO at Sascon International School, Maitama, on Tuesday in Abuja.
A total of 1,367,210 candidates registered to participate in this year’s school-based SSCE, a figure NECO described as the highest so far.
Reacting to complaints by the public on the lack of adequate infrastructure to support the phasing out of paper-pencil examinations, Alausa disclosed that both privately-owned CBT centres and those belonging to public institutions would be fully deployed in the conduct of the examinations.
Alausa, who hailed NECO for the seamless conduct of the pilot phase of the CBT SSCE, said that in the future, school-based SSCEs would be moved to designated CBT centres, rather than being held within schools.
He said: “WAEC and NECO exams are school-based exams being conducted at their schools. No, we will move away from that.
“It is going to be like the way JAMB exams are conducted at CBT centres. We have thousands of CBT centres across the nation.
“Those are the centres that we are going to use. It’s not a case that students do not have the facilities. Schools do not have the facilities.
“We have enough people. We also have to expand the value chain of these CBT centres. They should not just service JAMB alone.
“They should be able to service WAEC and NECO. The proprietors of these businesses, the owners of these businesses, have invested billions of naira to set up these CBT centres. So we also have to help develop a new value chain in our economy.
“They will create jobs. You see a lot of computer hardware and software. And more importantly, we have entrepreneurs in Nigeria that are creating and developing these solutions. These are home-grown solutions. We should all be proud. Today, we should all stand tall and be proud of what we utilise.
“These are the kinds of opportunities that President Bola Tinubu is unleashing in every sector of his economy.”
Alausa further commended NECO for its preparedness to fully transition to CBT, noting that the pilot was a demonstration of capacity and commitment to reform.
“This is the first in the history of NECO, which is conducting its annual O-Level Certificate exams for SS3 students. This is a pilot that we pushed to have, and I must tell you, I was very impressed with what I saw.
“I have to commend the Registrar of NECO for the hard work that he and his team have deployed to get us to this stage, because when we decided that we’re going to go CBT, everybody thought this was an insurmountable task, but today, we’ve seen that this is a process, this is a transition that is possible.
“We just have to work hard to get there. We cannot continue with this madness of exam malpractice, our exams being caught with cheating and leaked questions—both WAEC and NECO. If we allow this to continue, it will destroy the capacity of our youth, of our children.”
He also disclosed a phased rollout of the CBT format across all school examinations, starting with objective questions this year.
“I’m a very happy person today that NECO has transited to CBT from paper-based. By November of this year, both NECO and WAEC objective exams will be fully CBT.
“And by next year, 2026, all the essays and objective exams will be CBT. NECO and WAEC will be joining the league of JAMB. We are making significant progress,” he added.
Registrar of NECO, Prof Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, acknowledged that there were obvious infrastructure challenges, but said this would not hamper the Council from conducting CBT examinations, stressing that NECO, as a professional examination body, is ready to conduct examinations using any medium.
Fielding questions from newsmen after monitoring the ongoing NECO exam alongside members of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education at Government Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja, Wushishi expressed the Council’s readiness for the CBT mode of examination.
He said: “NECO is ready as a professional body to conduct examinations using any medium.
“We may have challenges of infrastructure, that is obvious, but then that will not bog us down or stop us from doing it. There are facilities that will give us the opportunity to conduct CBT, and we are good to go for that. We are all aware that there are certain difficult terrains across the country where we will not be able to meet up with that, except there are exceptional infrastructures to give us the opportunity to do that.
“But by and large, we are very, very much ready to do that as a professional body. We are calling on governments at the state level to speed up provision of CBT infrastructure in their states, because that will greatly support the process. We believe the process will reduce a lot of issues related to examination malpractice and improve the quality of the examination and, consequently, the results and certificates.
“We are very happy that the results and certificates are recognised globally and we need to also do more in order to reach out across the world with our certificates and results. So NECO is fully ready as far as that is concerned.”
Prof Wushishi revealed that a total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for this year’s SSCE, the highest figure so far.
Of these, 685,551 are male and over 681,300 are female.
According to him, Kano State had the highest number of registered candidates with more than 137,000, while Kebbi had the least, just over 5,000.
He also noted that the centre with the lowest number of candidates was the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which registered eight students.
Speaking after monitoring the examination at the Model Secondary School, Maitama, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), Senator Ekong Samson, pledged lawmakers’ commitment to putting in place every measure that will ensure a seamless transition to CBT exams.
“We are living in an age of technology. Nigeria must come to terms with what happens globally, and whatever measures we need to keep our educational system abreast with the world over, we will do that as legislators.”
According to him, the Senate will continue to monitor the process and put measures in place that will guarantee the quality of education in the country.
On his part, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa), who led the committee to monitor the NECO SSCE at Federal Government Boys College, Apo, Abuja, said the move was part of its oversight functions.
He commended NECO for the hitch-free examination.
“NECO is very important to us. This is our own. WAEC is also our own… We are very proud of what NECO is doing under the leadership of Prof Ibrahim Wushishi, and we pray that they sustain the tempo.
“We have gone round the school and we have seen the students’ commitment,” he said.
A new video has emerged showing two men reportedly kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State, pleading for assistance to secure their release.
One of the captives, former Biu Local Government Area Chairman Hassan Biu Miringa, revealed that their abductors are demanding a $300,000 ransom.
Miringa said he and another individual were taken in December 2025 and have remained in the custody of the militants.
In the video shared by Zagazola Makama, Miringa introduced himself, saying: “I am Hassan Biu Miringa, former Chairman of Biu Local Government from 2020 to 2022. Four years after my tenure, we were kidnapped by the soldiers of Khilafa about two weeks ago. Alhamdulillah, we are still alive, but we urgently need help to save our lives.”
He added that negotiations with the kidnappers had been underway, with some preliminary agreements reportedly reached.
“We have engaged them on four separate occasions and reached an understanding. We appeal to our leaders, especially Borno State Deputy Governor Alhaji Usman Umar Kadafur, the National Assembly representative for Biu, Kwaya, and Shani Hon. Betera Aliyu, as well as our community leaders, to temper justice with mercy and assist us. We are their children and have been working together,” Miringa said.
He confirmed the ransom demand, explaining that each captive is expected to pay $150,000, totaling $300,000 for their freedom, and pleaded for urgent intervention to reunite with their families.
The video highlights ongoing concerns over kidnappings and insecurity in southern Borno State, which have persisted despite government efforts to curb insurgent activity in the region.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday visited Port Harcourt City Local Government as part of his “thank you” visit across Rivers State.
Upon his arrival, a group of women displayed a symbolic gesture of loyalty by spreading their wrappers on the ground for his motorcade.
The women and supporters of the Minister were in a jubilant mode as Wike drove on the wrappers.
Wike has been going around local governments in the state to appreciate them for their support while reeling out moves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the course of his visits, the Minister had fired several salvos at political actors in the state, warning that their sudden support for President Bola Tinubu won’t secure them any ticket in 2027.
Wike also renewed rivalry with Governor Sim Fubara over the leadership control of the political space in the state.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has officially reaffirmed that the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, are ongoing and have not been suspended.
The Assembly said the process is still ongoing and is being conducted strictly in line with constitutional provisions.
This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, Hon. Enemi George.
According to the statement, the impeachment process, which began on Thursday, January 8, 2026, remains on course in line with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The lawmakers disclosed that separate notices of allegations bordering on gross misconduct have been served on both the governor and his deputy in line with Section 188 of the Constitution.
“The notices of allegations of gross misconduct against the Governor and the Deputy Governor have been duly forwarded to them by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, and the House is awaiting their responses,” the statement said.
The Assembly maintained that it is constitutionally obligated to act in the interest of the rule of law and ensure that no public office holder acts outside legal boundaries.
Reacting to reports suggesting that the impeachment move had been halted, the House accused some individuals and media outlets of deliberately spreading misinformation to mislead the public and stir tension between the legislature and Rivers residents.
The lawmakers described such reports as false and insisted they would not succumb to intimidation, threats, or blackmail.
“We are aware of renewed attempts by certain persons and media platforms to misinform the public by claiming that the impeachment process has been discontinued. The public should disregard such falsehoods, as the process remains active,” the statement added.
The Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to democratic principles and constitutional responsibilities, stressing that it would not be distracted by what it termed “cheap propaganda.”
It also appreciated the people of Rivers State for their support and prayers amid the ongoing political developments and extended goodwill to Nigerians committed to the nation’s democratic journey.
JomogNews reports that during Thursday’s plenary session, presided over by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, formally read the notice of allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Fubara on the floor of the House.
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