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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Comrade Sola Adigun, has expressed strong concerns regarding the recent decision by the House of Representatives to postpone the introduction of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) until 2030. He described this delay as tantamount to permanently abandoning the necessary reform.
Speaking to journalists in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday, Adigun labeled the 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 said, “The truth is simple, postponing this program for another five years is the same as abolishing it completely. 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 preparing for the CBT transition for nearly two years, with a clear roadmap that includes establishing accredited centers nationwide, and a 2026 deadline for schools to be equipped with the necessary technology, including computers and power generators.
He stressed the need for this initiative to limit logistical burdens and tackle the widespread examination malpractice associated with traditional paper-based systems, citing successful implementations by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as a case in point.
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Challenging the reasons for the proposed postponement—particularly concerns over poor electricity and internet connectivity in rural areas—Adigun argued that these do not justify stalling transformative progress. He questioned what state governments have done with increased federal allocations since the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023 to improve school infrastructure.
“Have they moved closer to UNESCO’s 26 percent budgetary benchmark for education?” he asked, urging lawmakers instead to invest in digital infrastructure through their constituency projects, rather than using infrastructure gaps as an excuse to delay progress.
While Adigun clarified that ASUSS is not advocating for a rushed implementation without preparation, he emphasized the necessity of earnest action for 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,” he warned.
He cautioned that further delays would only benefit those who profit from the chaos and malpractice of the existing paper-based examination system. “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 called for the suspension of the CBT policy on November 13, 2025, citing fears of mass failures due to inadequate infrastructure. However, ASUSS is urging the lawmakers to reverse their decision and support the Federal Ministry of Education in launching the program as planned, asserting that “postponement is cancellation by another name.”
