FG to roll out CBT centres for school-based SSCE, commends NECO’s pilot success
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Federal Government has announced plans to fully adopt private and public Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for the conduct of the school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) from next year.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an inspection of a pilot CBT SSCE conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) at Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Dr Alausa commended NECO for its seamless implementation of the pilot phase, describing it as a milestone in the country’s educational reform. He explained that going forward, school-based SSCEs would be conducted at designated CBT centres instead of within school premises.
“WAEC and NECO exams are school-based exams usually held within the schools. That will change,” the minister said. “Just like JAMB conducts its exams at CBT centres, we shall now adopt that model. There are thousands of CBT centres across the country, and those are the ones we’ll use.”
He stressed that many schools lack the facilities required for CBT, but the country already has enough private CBT centres that can be leveraged. He added that this would expand the education value chain and promote local entrepreneurship.
“These CBT centres should not serve only JAMB. They should also serve WAEC and NECO. These are private investors who have put billions of Naira into these businesses, and we must help them grow. They are creating jobs and home-grown technology solutions we should be proud of,” he said.
The minister further said the transition to CBT would not only modernise the examination process but also reduce malpractice and restore integrity to Nigeria’s education system.
“This pilot shows that CBT SSCEs are not only possible but also efficient. NECO has demonstrated strong capacity and commitment. The era of leaked exam papers and mass cheating must end.”
He revealed that from November 2025, all objective questions for NECO and WAEC will be conducted via CBT, with both essays and objectives fully computer-based by 2026.
NECO’s Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, echoed the minister’s optimism, stating that NECO is fully prepared for the transition despite infrastructure challenges in some regions.
“NECO is ready, as a professional body, to conduct exams using any medium. Yes, we have some infrastructure challenges, but we are not deterred. With proper support, especially at state level, we can scale CBT exams across the country,” he said.
Prof Wushishi emphasised the potential of CBT to reduce malpractice, improve examination quality and strengthen the global recognition of NECO certificates.
This year, a total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for the NECO SSCE — the highest in its history — with Kano State having the largest number of candidates at over 137,000 and Kebbi the least with just over 5,000. Notably, the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, registered only eight candidates.
The Federal Government’s initiative received further backing from the National Assembly.
Senator Ekong Samson, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, said the legislature would support all necessary measures to ensure a smooth transition to CBT.
“We are in a digital age. Nigeria must align with global standards, and as lawmakers, we are committed to helping the education sector embrace this change,” Samson said.
Similarly, Hon. Oboku Oforji, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, who led an oversight visit to the Federal Government Boys College, Apo, applauded NECO’s efforts.
“NECO is very important to us. We are proud of the work being done under Prof Wushishi. We saw the students and their commitment, and we are pleased with the conduct of the examination,” he remarked.
In NECO’s pilot success
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja1
The Federal Government has announced plans to fully adopt private and public Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for the conduct of the school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) from next year.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an inspection of a pilot CBT SSCE conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) at Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Dr Alausa commended NECO for its seamless implementation of the pilot phase, describing it as a milestone in the country’s educational reform. He explained that going forward, school-based SSCEs would be conducted at designated CBT centres instead of within school premises.
“WAEC and NECO exams are school-based exams usually held within the schools. That will change,” the minister said. “Just like JAMB conducts its exams at CBT centres, we shall now adopt that model. There are thousands of CBT centres across the country, and those are the ones we’ll use.”
He stressed that many schools lack the facilities required for CBT, but the country already has enough private CBT centres that can be leveraged. He added that this would expand the education value chain and promote local entrepreneurship.
“These CBT centres should not serve only JAMB. They should also serve WAEC and NECO. These are private investors who have put billions of Naira into these businesses, and we must help them grow. They are creating jobs and home-grown technology solutions we should be proud of,” he said.
The minister further said the transition to CBT would not only modernise the examination process but also reduce malpractice and restore integrity to Nigeria’s education system.
“This pilot shows that CBT SSCEs are not only possible but also efficient. NECO has demonstrated strong capacity and commitment. The era of leaked exam papers and mass cheating must end.”
He revealed that from November 2025, all objective questions for NECO and WAEC will be conducted via CBT, with both essays and objectives fully computer-based by 2026.
NECO’s Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, echoed the minister’s optimism, stating that NECO is fully prepared for the transition despite infrastructure challenges in some regions.
“NECO is ready, as a professional body, to conduct exams using any medium. Yes, we have some infrastructure challenges, but we are not deterred. With proper support, especially at state level, we can scale CBT exams across the country,” he said.
Prof Wushishi emphasised the potential of CBT to reduce malpractice, improve examination quality and strengthen the global recognition of NECO certificates.
This year, a total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for the NECO SSCE — the highest in its history — with Kano State having the largest number of candidates at over 137,000 and Kebbi the least with just over 5,000. Notably, the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, registered only eight candidates.
The Federal Government’s initiative received further backing from the National Assembly.
Senator Ekong Samson, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, said the legislature would support all necessary measures to ensure a smooth transition to CBT.
“We are in a digital age. Nigeria must align with global standards, and as lawmakers, we are committed to helping the education sector embrace this change,” Samson said.
Similarly, Hon. Oboku Oforji, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, who led an oversight visit to the Federal Government Boys College, Apo, applauded NECO’s efforts.
“NECO is very important to us. We are proud of the work being done under Prof Wushishi. We saw the students and their commitment, and we are pleased with the conduct of the examination,” he remarked.