The Federal Government has set a three-year timeline to migrate all examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to computer-based testing (CBT) mode.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who disclosed this at a meeting with officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), NECO, WAEC, and Senior Secondary Education in Abuja, restated government’s zero tolerance for exam malpractice, emphasising the need to protect the sanctity of all examinations.

Already, the minister has constituted a committee to address key issues, including examination leakages, identity theft, fraud, and improving supervision. He stressed the government’s commitment to uphold the integrity of examinations conducted by NECO and WAEC, as well as placement exams administered by JAMB.

“One of the key decisions at the meeting was the transition of all examinations into a CBT platform within the next three years, ensuring a more secured and efficient examination process.

“This is a significant step towards building a robust and credible examination system for Nigeria. We are moving swiftly to protect the future of our education system and ensure that our students’ achievements are recognised fairly and accurately,” the minister stated.

On her part, the Minister of State for Education, Dr Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed concerns over the prevalence of such unethical practices in the sector. She faulted practices such as students pooling funds to access leaked answers through WhatsApp and schools bribing officials to enable cheating.

Ahmad emphasised that these acts undermine the credibility of assessments and compromise the moral and academic development of students. She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to enforcing strict measures to combat malpractice, ensure accountability, and uphold the integrity of the nation’s examination system.

“With these measures in place, Nigeria is poised to strengthen the credibility of its educational system and set a new standard for examination security,” Ahmad stated.