The Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education hosted the State Committee meeting of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) at the Secretariat in Alausa-Ikeja, where the council announced its preparations for a digital transition and Computer-Based Examination (CBE).
Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, chaired the meeting and reaffirmed the strong collaboration between the state government and the examination body.
He also reviewed and updated the composition of the State Committee to better reflect the structure of the Lagos State education system.
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Changes include incorporating the six Tutor-Generals/Permanent Secretaries, the Permanent Secretary of the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), replacing the Inspectorate Division with the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), and substituting the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) with the Parents Forum (PF).
Alli-Balogun also re-stated the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards examination malpractice, insisting that all contraventions and resulting sanctions must be communicated to schools through the ministry.
In his address, the WAEC Zonal Coordinator, Rafiu Atoyebi, presented a performance analysis of each state and a subject-by-subject result analysis across Nigeria.
He detailed the proposed Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format, which will be a hybrid model, and mentioned a pilot programme for selected subjects to be held at JAMB-accredited centres.
Atoyebi informed the management of the Council’s firm commitment to a digital transition and an insistence on a Computer-Based examination for school candidates sitting for the May/June 2026 examination.
Acknowledging concerns among stakeholders regarding the nation’s readiness for CBT, especially following technical issues during the release of the 2025 WASSCE for school candidates, the Zonal Coordinator sought to allay fears about internet connectivity, particularly for rural candidates.
He assured that all registered candidates for the 2026 WASSCE would be able to write the examination, either “onshore or offshore,” and maintained that the Computer-Based WASSCE is the future of examinations.
According to Atoyebi, the full transition is expected to eliminate logistical challenges, improve examination credibility, and significantly reduce cases of malpractice.
This Computer-Based WASSCE is part of WAEC’s wider strategy to modernise assessment systems and integrate technology into every phase of examination management, from registration and testing to result processing and verification.
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The state delegation to the meeting, led by Alli-Balogun, included Permanent Secretary Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, TESCOM Permanent Secretary Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila, and Tutor-Generals/Permanent Secretaries from Education Districts I, II, III, and VI: Olufunke Oyetola, Segun Osinaike, Sanni Layemo, and Mojisola Yussuf, respectively.
