Key Points

• Lawmakers criticised the WAEC subject removals as harmful to students.

• Reps warned the changes disrupt exam preparation nationwide.

• Parliament wants an urgent reversal of the WAEC subject removals.

The House of Representatives has told the Federal Government to stop the WAEC subject removals that took Civic Education, Computer Studies, Electrical Installation, and other subjects off the West African Examination Council’s registration portal. They say that this could hurt the country’s development goals.

Lawmakers said that the Ministry of Education needs to quickly rethink the order, pointing out that students getting ready for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination are confused with only a few months left before the exam cycle starts.

Lawmakers say no to WAEC subject removals

Oboku Oforji, who represents the Yenagoa/Opokuma Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State, brought up the motion of urgent public importance that led to the resolution. He said that while curriculum updates are important, taking out subjects that are important for digital literacy and civic awareness sends the wrong message at a time when the country’s education system is in a lot of trouble.

Oforji said that trade subjects like Data Processing are still widely taught because they are useful in the real world. Computer Studies, on the other hand, is now a basic skill for everyone who uses computers. He said that taking away such a core subject goes against Nigeria’s own use of computer-based testing.

He also said that Civic Education, which used to be required in high schools, shouldn’t be forgotten about because national institutions still use it to teach people about their rights and duties.

Worries about how ready students are

The lawmaker said the changes were thoughtless and poorly timed, especially since SS3 students have been studying subjects that are now no longer on the portal for years. He said that cutting down on the number of subjects available means that students won’t have the minimum eight they need for the exam, which will force them to choose options they don’t know how to master in four months.

Oforji said that thousands of students getting ready for the 2026 WASSCE are already stressed out. He asked the Ministry to let students write the subjects they have studied since SS1. He said that putting the new structure into place right away would be like sabotaging academics.

Lawmakers want an immediate change

Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker, put the motion to a voice vote, and it passed without any opposition. The House then told the Ministry of Education to stop putting it into effect in the name of fairness and to protect the integrity of the exams.

There will also be a temporary committee to look into the matter and make sure that the House’s position is followed.

The Federal Government’s change to the national curriculum in September 2025 is what started the argument. They combined Civic Education, Nigerian History, and Social Studies into a new subject called Citizenship and Heritage Studies. The changes also aimed to make vocational courses more efficient and lower the number of subjects students had to take.

But the rollout caused a lot of confusion among teachers, parents, and students about what subjects WAEC would eventually list for the 2026 cycle. This confusion grew even worse when news of the WAEC subject removals spread to schools all over the country.