The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Comrade Sola Adigun, has cautioned that delaying the introduction of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) until 2030 is effectively a move to abandon the reform.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo, Osun State, Adigun criticised the House of Representatives’ recent resolution to suspend the CBT rollout for five years, describing it as “a subtle but effective way of killing a progressive policy that is long overdue.”
“Postponing this programme for another five years is the same as abolishing it completely,” he said. “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.”
Adigun reminded stakeholders that the Federal Ministry of Education has been developing the CBT transition for nearly two years, backed by a clear roadmap that includes accrediting centres nationwide.
The plan also sets a 2026 deadline mandating the possession of computers and power generators for any school intending to host WAEC examinations.
He commended the initiative as a necessary step to reduce logistics challenges and curb widespread examination malpractice associated with the paper-based system.
He pointed to the significant success recorded by JAMB since it fully migrated to CBT.
The ASUSS leader dismissed the National Assembly’s concerns about poor electricity and internet infrastructure in rural areas as inadequate justification for delaying what he described as an inevitable digital transformation.
“Since the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, state governments have received massive increases in federal allocations. What have they done with the money to equip schools with computers, generators, and internet facilities? Have they moved closer to UNESCO’s 26 per cent budgetary benchmark for education?” he queried.
Adigun urged lawmakers to channel constituency project funds into providing digital infrastructure for rural schools rather than using infrastructural gaps as an excuse to stall progress.
He stressed that ASUSS is not opposed to proper planning but insisted that implementation must begin in earnest.
“The world has gone digital. Banking, commerce, governance—everything is now online. If we keep waiting for a ‘perfect environment’ that will never come, we will continue raising generations that are digitally illiterate,” he warned.
According to him, further postponement would only serve the interests of those who benefit from malpractice under the existing paper-based system.
The House of Representatives had on November 13, 2025, called for suspension of the WAEC CBT policy until 2030, citing concerns about potential mass failure due to inadequate infrastructure.
ASUSS, however, urged lawmakers to reverse their position and support the Federal Ministry of Education in ensuring the programme commences as originally planned, insisting that “postponement is cancellation by another name.”
Reporting by Adenitan Akinola