Union Faults Postponement Of Computer-based West African Exam

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Comrade Sola Adigun, has warned that postponing the introduction of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to 2030 is tantamount to permanently abandoning the reform.

Speaking to journalists in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday, Comrade Adigun described the House of Representatives’ recent resolution to delay the CBT rollout by five years as a “subtle but effective way of killing a progressive policy that is long overdue.”

He urged the lawmakers to reverse their stance and support the Federal Ministry of Education in ensuring the programme kicks off as planned, insisting that “postponement is cancellation by another name.”

“The truth is simple: postponing this programme for another five years is the same as abolishing it completely,” Adigun declared. “By 2030, the political will, the officials driving it, and even the urgency will be gone. We have seen too many good policies die slow deaths through endless postponements in this country.”

The ASUSS leader reminded stakeholders that the Federal Ministry of Education has been working on the CBT transition for nearly two years, with a clear roadmap that includes accredited centres nationwide and a 2026 deadline, after which possession of computers and power generators will become mandatory for schools to host WAEC examinations.

He praised the initiative as a necessary step to curb the huge logistics burden and widespread examination malpractice associated with the paper-based system, citing the dramatic success recorded by JAMB since it fully adopted CBT.

Adigun challenged the reasons given by the National Assembly for the proposed postponement, citing poor electricity and internet connectivity in rural areas, and said the excuses do not justify stalling a digital transformation that is already inevitable.