Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, has called on students sitting for the ongoing 2025 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to avoid shortcuts and focus on hard work as a pathway to success.
Speaking during an inspection tour of a school in Abuja where WAEC is piloting the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode of examination, Alausa encouraged students to stay disciplined and committed to their academic pursuits. He emphasised that success achieved through genuine effort has long-term value, while shortcuts often lead to failure.
“Please continue to work hard, study hard, and as you do this, the resultant effect is that whatever exam you do, you will pass. As you navigate your life journey, you will excel. Don’t take the shortcut; anyone that does is bound to fail. Challenge yourself, be disciplined, and be a patriotic citizen,” the Minister said.
Alausa expressed strong support for the ongoing digital transition in public examinations, he lauded WAEC’s efforts in deploying CBT for the SSCE. He noted that the move to technology-driven assessments would significantly reduce examination malpractices commonly associated with traditional pen-and-paper formats.
“The processes WAEC has put in place make it extremely difficult for anyone to hack the system. They are working on a local area network, not connected to the cloud, making unauthorized access virtually impossible,” he explained.
He further announced that starting in November 2025, all objective components of WAEC’s examinations would be conducted via CBT. He explained that by 2026, both objective and essay components for WAEC and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will fully transition to computer-based assessments.
“I went around and monitored the screens of students answering objective English questions it was very seamless. WAEC has shown that we can do CBT, and it’s easy,” he said.
Addressing concerns about infrastructure readiness, Alausa acknowledged that challenges remain but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in the needed resources.
“Are we going to be ready to provide every single needed infrastructure by November? Absolutely not. But as we move into the future, we will be ready. We have to challenge ourselves as a government and as citizens,” he stated.
The Minister stressed the importance of embracing modern practices in education, citing global trends and the success of Nigerians in the tech space as proof of the country’s potential.
“We cannot keep doing things the way we’ve been doing for 300 years. The world is changing, and we must adopt technology. Nigerians are excelling everywhere in the world we must hold ourselves to high standards,” he stated
