Postponing WAEC CBT To 2030 Equals Killing It Outright – ASUSS President

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.”

“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 where 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, poor electricity and internet connectivity in rural areas, saying the excuses do not justify stalling a digital transformation that is already inevitable.

“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 asked.

The union leader also urged federal lawmakers to deploy their constituency projects to provide digital infrastructure in rural schools rather than using infrastructure gaps as an excuse to delay progress.

“ASUSS is not asking for the programme to be rushed without preparation, but we insist that all hands must be on deck for earnest implementation. 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,” Adigun said.

He warned that further delay would only benefit those who profit from the chaos and malpractice of the current paper-based system, adding: “Five more years of postponement is not caution, it is surrender. And surrender means the death of the CBT dream for WAEC.”

The House of Representatives had on November 13, 2025, called for suspension of the policy until 2030, citing fears of mass failure due to inadequate infrastructure.

ASUSS, however, 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.”