FG to mandate WAEC, NECO for all senior secondary students from 2027

Detailed summary

FG intends to introduce compulsory examinations for senior secondary school students, as the Senate moves to amend the education law.

The federal government intends to introduce compulsory examinations for senior secondary school students, as the National Assembly moves to amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act, signalling a major shift in the administration of Nigeria’s secondary education.

The Federal Ministry of Education recently announced national guidelines on mandatory participation in an approved senior secondary school qualifying examination, which mandates that students must sit the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS).

“This guideline, which takes effect from the 2027 academic year, is aimed at establishing a uniform national framework for the certification and quality assurance of students completing senior secondary education in Nigeria and to preserve national educational standards, ensure curricular alignment, and maintain robust data tracking,” the statement read.

The ministry emphasised that the senior secondary school education in Nigeria is intended to prepare learners for further education, employment, entrepreneurship, responsible citizenship and lifelong learning.

“At the end of senior secondary education, Nigerian students who have been educated within the Nigerian education system are subjected to Nigerian terminal assessment to obtain evidence of completion and academic achievement through recognised examinations conducted by approved examination bodies,” it noted.

Consequently, from 2027, the Federal Ministry of Education wants to force every private and international secondary school in Nigeria to make students sit for WAEC, NECO or other approved Nigerian examinations, even when those students are already pursuing internationally recognised qualifications.

Alex Onyia, the chief executive officer at EDUCARE, however, expressed concerns that Nigeria is moving rather backwards with…

“Ins…

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