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Breaking News: Reps Order Suspension Of CBT For 2026 WAEC Exams
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to halt the plan by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, to implement Computer-Based Testing, CBT, for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, warning that the initiative could trigger widespread academic failure, psychological distress, and even fatalities among students.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance presented by Hon. Kelechi Nworgu on Thursday, who called for immediate intervention to prevent what he described as an impending crisis in education.
Speaking on the motion, Nworgu acknowledged that while CBT has been successfully utilised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, the current state of most secondary schools in Nigeria renders such a shift premature for WAEC exams in 2026.
He stressed that the Federal Ministry of Education’s plan to conduct the 2026 WASSCE via CBT, despite objections from the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and school principals, would place millions of students at a significant disadvantage, particularly those in rural communities who lack computers, stable electricity, and internet connectivity.
“Most of the over 25,500 schools across the country, especially in rural areas, do not have functional computers or qualified computer teachers.
“Many students have never used a computer before, yet they are being compelled to take up to nine subjects, including theory and practical exams, through CBT,” he said.
Nworgu warned that the initiative is being rushed without sufficient groundwork and cautioned that its fallout could be severe, potentially resulting in mass failure, frustration, drug abuse, and other social ills among young people.
He recommended that WAEC and the Ministry of Education postpone the CBT rollout for at least three years, suggesting a more feasible implementation period around the 2029–2030 academic session, after necessary infrastructure and training have been established.
In response, the House directed WAEC and the Ministry of Education to immediately suspend the planned CBT initiative.
It urged the government to allocate funds from the 2026 budget for hiring computer teachers, constructing computer labs with internet access, and installing standby generators in schools nationwide.
The House also tasked its Committees on Basic Examination Bodies, Digital and Information Technology, Basic Education and Services, and Labour, Employment and Productivity to engage stakeholders in the education and technology sectors and submit a report within four weeks to guide further legislative measures.
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Breaking: Nigerian Workers Demand N300,000 Minimum Wage, FG Faces Fresh Salary Pressure
The Federal Workers Forum, FWF, has demanded an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000, noting that the current salary structure can no longer sustain civil servants amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
The Forum made the demand in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly, with the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation listed among the recipients.
The workers also proposed a new salary structure that would place the highest-paid Level 17 officer on a monthly salary of N1.5 million, while Level 1 Step 1 workers would earn N300,000.
“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to N300,000 and a maximum wage of N1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the Forum said.
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The FWF argued that the Federal Government had not fully implemented the 2024 minimum wage agreement, claiming that federal workers had yet to receive the full consequential adjustment and associated allowances.
“It will surprise you to hear that the Federal Government has not fully implemented the new national minimum wage since July 2024. We have been in the battle for full consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage,” it said.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in August 2026, demanded an upward review of the minimum wage to N500,000.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s government increased the minimum wage to N70,000 per month from N30,000.
However, the cost of living for many Nigerians has tripled between 2024 and 2026.
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The Federal Government has said Nigeria will never support a military coup or any unconstitutional change of government, following claims that the country backed a failed coup attempt in the Niger Republic.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the statement, the claims circulating on social media are baseless and misleading.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria remained committed to democracy, constitutional rule and political stability in West Africa and would not support any attempt to remove a government through unconstitutional means.
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“Nigeria will never support illegality or unconstitutional change of government anywhere, no matter who is involved or which country is concerned,” he said.
The minister also rejected claims that Nigeria, through its membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), supported or endorsed the military takeover in Niger.
He said the Federal Government had already stated its position on the situation in Niger in an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026.
According to him, Nigeria remains deeply concerned about developments in Niger and wants the country to return peacefully to stability and constitutional order.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s close historical, cultural and fraternal ties with Niger made peace and stability in the neighbouring country particularly important.
“Nigerians at home and abroad should disregard the videos and narratives circulating online, they are intended to create confusion and tarnish Nigeria’s image,” the statement said.
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