The Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has reaffirmed its collaboration with the West African Examinations Council to enhance assessment standards and drive technological transformation.

This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday following the recent state committee meeting of WAEC, held under the Ministry’s supervision.

The commissioner for basic and secondary education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, chaired the meeting, alongside the permanent secretary, Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, and other top officials from education districts and agencies.

Attendees included Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila, permanent secretary of the Teaching Service Commission, and tutor generals/permanent secretaries of Education Districts I, II, III, and VI, among others.

According to Mr Sutton, the committee reaffirmed the strong synergy between Lagos State and WAEC while reviewing its composition to reflect current realities in the state’s education framework.

He explained that the new structure aims to strengthen representation by including the six tutor generals, TESCOM, the Office of Education Quality Assurance, and the Parents Forum.

Mr Alli-Balogun restated the state’s zero tolerance for examination malpractice, directing that all contraventions and sanctions be communicated to affected schools through proper ministry channels.

He assured that Lagos would continue to uphold fairness and integrity in all examinations, ensuring every learner competes on merit within a transparent assessment system.

The WAEC zonal coordinator, Rafiu Atoyebi, presented a performance analysis across states and subjects, while sensitising members on the Council’s upcoming computer-based testing transition.

He revealed that the proposed format would be hybrid, with a pilot phase for selected subjects conducted at Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board-accredited centres nationwide.

Mr Atoyebi added that the transition marks the future of assessment, as it will eliminate logistics challenges, reduce malpractice, and strengthen examination credibility through technology-driven testing.

He assured stakeholders that connectivity and rural access would not hinder participation, restating WAEC’s readiness for full computer-based WASSCE by the 2026 examination year.

(NAN)