National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Dayo Emmanuel
Top officials of Nigeria’s leading examination bodies—the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO), have publicly apologized for the hitches that marred one of the papers at the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), assuring the public of reforms and improved systems going forward.
At the May Dialogue organized by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) on Thursday, the focus was on the future of examinations in Nigeria, especially in light of the recent disruptions that affected WAEC exams in some states.
Dr. Amos J. Dangut, Head of WAEC’s National Office, did not mince words in his address.
“I apologise over the conduct of the exams on Wednesday. It’s very unfortunate. I want to appeal for understanding, prayers, and encouragement to be able to conduct credible exams,” he said.
Dangut admitted that the examination had issues and that logistical and socio-cultural issues in Taraba, Bayelsa, and Ogun States compounded the problem. “We tender our apology to Nigerians,” he pleaded, assuring that such incidents would not recur.
On why the exams weren’t postponed, Dangut noted WAEC’s international nature and said most centers were unaffected. He also clarified that some centers were already running CBT, and the transition to computer-based testing was in progress.
NECO’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Dr. Dantani I. Wushishi, also extended his apology in solidarity with WAEC.
“My reaction to what happened to my sister organization touched my heart… I join to apologize to Nigerians,” he said.
He emphasized NECO’s commitment to transitioning to CBT by 2027 through a three-year strategic roadmap. However, he acknowledged the scale of infrastructure required—CBT centers in over 26,000 schools—and the financial and logistical challenges ahead.
Hajia Binta Abdukadri, Director of Senior Secondary Education, added the government’s voice to the apology.
“As a government, we are taking responsibility. We need to punish those sabotaging our efforts. They have given us sleepless nights in the last three days,” she said.
Participants at the dialogue raised concerns about digital inequality, readiness for CBT, and lack of infrastructure. Some criticized the push for CBT in areas lacking basic educational resources, while others questioned the accuracy of describing current digital exams as true CBT.
Despite differing views, all stakeholders agreed that technology holds promise in reducing malpractice and enhancing credibility, but called for cautious, inclusive implementation.
Earlier in his welcome address, President of EWAN, Mojeed Alabi, expressed concern over the setbacks in the WAEC exams in some states, which he said would negatively affect students.
A participant, Odinaka, an IT specialist from Texas, USA, posed a critical question: “We have businesses declaring big profits in Nigeria. Is it not possible to partner with corporate organizations?
“Why don’t we build our infrastructure so that students can get results immediately after writing their exams? We shouldn’t be at the teething stage all the time.”
Professor Mojeed weighed in, saying, “I’ve been in the business of monitoring examination. I almost concluded that JAMB was the best, but that does not take away WAEC’s credibility. We must take preventive measures. There will be saboteurs. We can’t wait till we get 100% readiness. We should be happy CBT is curbing exam malpractices.”
Dr. Ademola Osoba added briefly, “CBT centers should be done in phases.”
Another participant, Ariyo Small, voiced concerns about implementation.
“Our politicians want to level up with their counterparts abroad. They want to ride the cars their counterparts ride. We should not put the cart before the horse. These kids have been in schools without computers, and you want to subject them to CBT? In schools with no desks? You talk about partnership with banks. Banks are taking from Nigerians. Zenith Bank made over 70 million from SMS. Even our education system is not tailored to make people educated. We are killing brilliant students by compelling them to do what they are not accustomed to. National Assembly should do something. We’re not there yet. We have a generation alien to computers. Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other cities are not the entire Nigeria. There are remote places where people don’t even know what a mouse looks like.”
Abdulrasheed Robana provided a technical perspective.
“In a proper CBT, once you finish the exam, you see your result. The idea of CBT is to eliminate human elements. By definition, JAMB and WAEC have not been doing CBT. What JAMB is doing is human interface, not CBT. JAMB exam is adaptive to CBT. WAEC is not adaptive to CBT.”
He argued, “Harvard University invented CBT and even till today, they still do pen-and-paper exams. The only exam that is adaptable to CBT is JAMB. If we change our mode of exam to CBT, we are destroying our education. As an IT person, our infrastructure problem is the least problem. It is not about infrastructure but the mode of examination. A lot of us did our exams on pen and paper and we are still better for it.”
