The Traffic

NUT Faults WAEC, NECO Over Shift to Computer-Based Testing, Says It Won’t Stop Exam Malpractice

By Achimi muktar

The Federal Government recently announced a bold move: by 2026, all WAEC and NECO exams will transition to full computer-based testing, starting with objective sections in November 2025 and moving to both multiple-choice and essay papers the following year.

But the NUT warns that this sweeping change will not address the root cause of Nigeria’s exam malpractice crisis—and may even leave millions of students behind.

“We have placed too much emphasis on certificates—not actual intelligence,” NUT National President Comrade Audu Amba told reporters in Abuja. “Students and even parents are driven to desperate acts to secure paper qualifications.”

For Amba, the country’s obsession with grades and certificates fuels a toxic education culture where exam malpractice thrives.

“What is your grade? What are your scores? No one asks about your intelligence anymore. That’s why students go out of their way to cheat,” he said.

He argues that simply moving exams online will not change this mentality—nor curb the deep social pressures that drive malpractice.

Beyond philosophical concerns, Amba raised practical red flags about the readiness of Nigeria’s education infrastructure to adopt CBT nationwide.

“Where is the power supply? The manpower? The internet network?” he asked. “We can’t just sit in the city and issue directives that can’t be implemented.”

Amba painted a grim picture of rural schools where students have never seen a computer, let alone used one for a high-stakes national exam.

“In my village, the network disappears unless you go to a certain spot. Many of our villages are like this.”

He also questioned the digital literacy of teachers themselves—particularly in remote areas—arguing that forcing an unprepared system into CBT risks leaving vulnerable students behind.

During the interview, Amba didn’t hold back on the government’s neglect of teachers, especially at the primary school level—a sector he described as the bedrock of the entire education system.

“Teachers in Nigeria are the most marginalised professionals,” he lamented. “Primary school teachers are treated as an afterthought.”

As proof, he cited the ongoing months-long strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—their fourth strike over the N70,000 minimum wage that has already been implemented for other civil servants.

“It’s ironic—those in leadership today were taught by these same teachers, and now they ignore them,” he said.

Amba stressed that teachers face the same economic struggles as other Nigerians and deserve equal treatment.

“We go to the same markets, pay the same rent, visit the same hospitals,” he said.

He called for urgent government investment in basic education, warning that without it, grand reforms like CBT are “putting the cart before the horse.”

The Federal Government’s CBT push is part of a broader effort to modernise Nigeria’s exam systems and reduce malpractice.

Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa has said the goal is to fully implement CBT for WAEC and NECO by May/June 2026, with an expert committee currently reviewing national exam standards.

But if the NUT’s warnings are any indication, the road to digital testing may be far bumpier than officials expect.

As Nigeria prepares for this major education overhaul, one question remains: Will technology alone solve the deeper problems plaguing the nation’s classrooms—or simply expose them?