The Federal Government has introduced uniform continuous assessment (CA) guidelines requiring WAEC and NECO to create secure, interoperable portals linked to the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI).
The policy applies to public and government-approved private secondary schools across the country. It requires every student to have a National Learner Identity Number (NLIN) linked to their National Identification Number (NIN).
Speaking to state education commissioners, private school owners, administrators and other educators, Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the reform shows the government’s commitment to repositioning the sector for global competitiveness.
All licensed schools and national examination bodies must follow the rules or face sanctions. These include suspension for examination malpractice, failure to follow registration directives, misrepresentation of learners or fraudulent CA submissions.
From the 2026/2027 academic session, first-term CA must be uploaded in January, second-term in April and third-term in August. The fixed deadlines are aimed at preventing retroactive changes and fake scores before final examinations.
The guidelines also introduce a formal transfer process. Schools must request transfers through the portal, while receiving schools can accept or reject them. Approved transfers will automatically carry all previous CA records to the new school.
CA records belong to the learner, meaning schools cannot delete or change past results on their own.
Suspended schools will have their portals blocked, while affected students will be marked as “orphaned”. Examination bodies must notify the state Ministry of Education within two days. Students will then be moved to nearby accredited schools or approved temporary exam centres.
The Federal Ministry of Education will monitor compliance, while the guidelines will be reviewed after one year.
