The House of Representatives has directed the immediate suspension of the planned adoption of computer-based tests (CBT) for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Rivers State lawmaker Kelechi Nwogu, who cited concerns that the new testing format could trigger widespread failure among students and even lead to depression or, in extreme cases, death.
The House highlighted that despite protests from the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and heads of public and private schools, particularly in rural areas, which educate over 70% of students, the Ministry of Education and WAEC appeared determined to proceed with the policy.
Lawmakers stressed that CBT requires fully equipped halls with functional computers, reliable internet access, a stable national power supply, or standby generators.
Consequently, the House mandated the suspension of CBT for 2026 and instructed the Ministry of Education to include the cost of implementing computer-based tests in the budgets for 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029, with full implementation set for 2030.
