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WAEC’s move to CBT is a significant step to the future, By Idris Ahmed Usman
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The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has once again demonstrated that it is not only a custodian of academic standards but also a forward-looking institution committed to modernizing education in West Africa. Its recent announcement that the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will be fully computer-based is a bold and visionary step that deserves commendation.
For decades, WAEC has set the benchmark for credibility, transparency, and rigour in examinations. Now, by embracing computer-based testing (CBT), the body is signaling its readiness to align with global best practices in assessment, while also preparing African students for the digital realities of the 21st century. In a world where education and work are increasingly technology-driven, WAEC’s transition is not just timely, it is necessary.
The plan to conduct all objective examinations fully online, with three papers written in a single day, promises efficiency and reduced risks of malpractice. Essay and theory papers, to be projected in examination halls without the distribution of physical question papers, will significantly cut down on leakages and logistical bottlenecks. Candidates will simply receive answer booklets, while questions are securely displayed. This model, already in practice in advanced economies, places WAEC among global leaders in secure assessment delivery.
The emphasis on IT-compliant supervising teachers for practical exams reflects WAEC’s determination to build digital competence among educators as well. Schools hosting these examinations will be responsible for providing the necessary materials, ensuring shared responsibility and accountability. This approach strengthens the ecosystem of collaboration between WAEC, schools, and teachers, while promoting IT proficiency across the board.
Critically, WAEC has emphasized that no school is mandated to buy computers in order for its candidates to sit for the exams. This underscores a deep sense of inclusivity, every student, regardless of their school’s resources, will have the opportunity to participate. Designated centres will host candidates, and schools that volunteer as centres will even receive compensation from WAEC. By setting a clear requirement of at least 50 functional computers for host centres, WAEC ensures reliability and scalability without placing undue financial burdens on schools.
WAEC has also made a strategic appeal to schools, particularly in the Lekki, Ajah, and Epe axis of Lagos State, to partner with it in hosting the exams. This call reflects both the demand for more centres in rapidly growing urban areas and the spirit of collaboration that will be crucial for the success of this transition. Schools that seize this opportunity will not only support national progress but also position themselves as leaders in educational innovation.
Perhaps the most profound implication of this shift is its impact on the students themselves. By writing their examinations on computers, students are not only being tested, they are being prepared. They are gaining familiarity with the very tools that will define their academic journeys, their workplaces, and their futures. WAEC is, in essence, turning the WASSCE into a gateway to digital literacy, bridging the gap between traditional education and the modern world.
Critics may raise concerns about infrastructure and readiness, but WAEC has shown a pragmatic approach, making provisions to ensure that examinations will hold for all candidates, regardless of a school’s immediate preparedness. This is not a reckless leap but a carefully calibrated stride into the future.
In embracing computer-based testing, WAEC has taken a stand: Africa’s educational systems must not remain stuck in the past. Instead, they must be bold enough to innovate, adapt, and lead. The 2026 WASSCE will mark not just an examination milestone but a historic turning point in the evolution of education in West Africa. WAEC is not simply moving with the times, it is moving ahead of them.
WAEC’s decision to fully digitize the WASSCE is more than an administrative reform; it is a redefinition of how examinations can shape the future of education in Africa. By prioritizing security, efficiency, inclusivity, and technological competence, the Council is building an ecosystem that benefits not just students, but schools, teachers, and society at large. This forward-looking model ensures that the examination process mirrors the digital realities students will encounter beyond the classroom, making the WASSCE a tool of preparation as much as evaluation.
In many ways, the 2026 WASSCE will stand as a landmark, not only for WAEC but for the entire region. It signals to the world that West Africa is ready to embrace innovation and to invest in the skills its youth will need to thrive in a competitive, technology-driven global economy. The path WAEC has chosen is ambitious, but it is also necessary, and with collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders, it promises to set a new standard for educational excellence in Africa.
• Usman lives in Abuja.
As part of the third year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the promotion of 3,592 civil servants following the successful conclusion of the 2025 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
Recall that from June 8 to July 17, 2026, the FCT had witnessed commissioning and flag-off of over 30 projects to commemorate the third year anniversary of the President.
Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, who announced the development, described it as a demonstration of the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s commitment to staff welfare in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said that the promotion examinations for senior officers were conducted between July 1 and 3, while junior staff sat for their examinations on July 10.
He commended Wike for providing the necessary support that enabled the commission to carry out its statutory responsibilities smoothly and efficiently.
According to him, the minister has also directed the commission to immediately commence the 2026 promotion exercise to ensure that eligible officers are promoted as and when due, without unnecessary delays.
“Under this administration, it is a priority that FCT workers get promoted as and when due. This is to compliment the tremendous work that the FCT Minister is doing in infrastructural development of the Territory, and for us, the workers will not be left out in the celebrations marking the 3rd anniverssary of Mr President,” he said.
Ezeh said the directive reflects the administration’s determination to complement the ongoing infrastructural transformation across the Federal Capital Territory with improved staff welfare and career development.
He noted that the move would ensure civil servants also benefit from the achievements being recorded under the Tinubu administration as it marks its third anniversary.
The commission chairman praised FCT civil servants for their peaceful and orderly conduct throughout the 2025 promotion exercise, urging officers expected to participate in the 2026 exercise to maintain the same level of discipline and professionalism.
He also expressed appreciation to the leadership of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) for its cooperation and support, which contributed to the successful conduct of the promotion exercise.
Ezeh advised prospective candidates for the 2026 promotion exercise to begin preparations early, reminding them that promotion in the FCT Civil Service is merit-based, highly competitive, and subject to the availability of vacancies.
The Federal Ministry of Finance has disowned a fraudulent message currently being circulated to newly recruited staff, falsely directing them to pay a non refundable administrative fee of ₦50,000 as a condition for resumption of duty.
The Ministry described the message as the handiwork of scammers seeking to exploit unsuspecting applicants through false claims made in the name of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The fake message, titled “Administrative Update and Compliance Notice for Newly Recruited Staff,” falsely claims that the Human Resource Management Department directed newly recruited staff to pay an administrative fee before assuming duty.
The Ministry states categorically that no such directive was issued and that the message did not originate from any office or official of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry further clarified that recruitment into the Federal Ministry of Finance is conducted strictly in accordance with the established procedures of the Federal Civil Service.
At no stage of the recruitment, documentation or onboarding process are applicants or newly recruited staff required to pay any administrative, processing or resumption fee.
Accordingly, prospective employees and members of the public are advised to disregard the fraudulent message and refrain from making any payment or disclosing personal or financial information to individuals behind the scam.
The Ministry urged anyone who receives the message or has information that could assist in identifying those responsible for the fraudulent scheme to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Such information may also be brought to the attention of the Ministry through its official communication channels.
The Federal Ministry of Finance remains committed to transparency, fairness and integrity in all its recruitment processes and will continue to work with relevant authorities to protect members of the public from fraudulent activities carried out in its name.
The Ministry appreciates the vigilance of members of the public and encourages Nigerians to verify any information relating to employment opportunities with the Federal Ministry of Finance through official Government channels before taking any action.
Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi and Temitope Adeshina claimed bronze medals in the men’s 100m and women’s high jump respectively at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Tuesday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Both national record holders delivered podium finishes for Team Nigeria, with Ajayi clocking 9.90 seconds in the men’s 100m final, while Adeshina cleared 1.90m to finish third in the women’s high jump.
Ajayi, 21, had entered the final as one of the favourites after winning his semi-final in an impressive 9.94 seconds and was aiming to hand Nigeria its first athletics gold of the Games.
However, African champion Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon powered to victory in a Games record of 9.83 seconds, while Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy claimed silver in a personal best and Oceanian record of 9.85 seconds.
The bronze medal capped another outstanding performance in what has been a breakthrough season for the World Championships finalist.
The Auburn University sprinter won the NCAA title earlier this year before breaking Olusoji Fasuba’s 20-year-old Nigerian record with a blistering 9.84 seconds. He has since equalled that mark twice, running 9.84 seconds on three occasions this season, while also winning two Diamond League races before arriving in Glasgow.
Ajayi was Nigeria’s only representative in the men’s 100m final after Favour Ashe and Fakorede Adekalu failed to progress from the semi-finals. Ashe finished fifth in his race in 10.07 seconds, while Adekalu placed fourth in 10.06 seconds.
Adeshina also lived up to expectations in the women’s high jump, producing a best clearance of 1.90m to secure the bronze medal in a highly competitive field.
The Nigerian record holder, who enjoyed an outstanding collegiate season in the United States, added a Commonwealth medal to her growing list of achievements after qualifying comfortably for the final.
In the women’s 100m, African U-20 champion Miracle Ezechukwu narrowly missed out on a place in the final after finishing fourth in her semi-final in 11.23 seconds.
Rosemary Chukwuma finished eighth in her semi-final in 11.82 seconds after appearing to sustain an injury midway through the race, while national champion Blessing Ogundiran was unable to start her heat due to illness.
The two bronze medals boosted Nigeria’s athletics medal haul as Team Nigeria continued its quest for more podium finishes in Glasgow.
Tinubu’s 3rd Year Anniversary: Wike Approves Promotion Of 3,592 FCT Civil Servants
BEWARE: Finance Ministry Disowns Fraudulent Message Demanding N50k From Newly Recruited Staff
Ajayi, Adeshina win Commonwealth Games bronze
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