The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has restated its commitment to fully migrate the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to a computer-based format by 2026, promising parents, schools and candidates that the transition will be smooth and inclusive.
Speaking at the opening of the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) in Umuahia, the committee’s chairperson, Hajiya Binta Abdulkadir, revealed that WAEC had already achieved a major milestone by becoming the first examining body in Nigeria to conduct a Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates, following last year’s landmark rollout for private candidates.
Abdulkadir acknowledged concerns surrounding the federal government’s directive mandating full CB-WASSCE adoption by 2026, but assured that the council is working closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure no candidate is disadvantaged. “We assure you that no candidate sitting this examination will be disenfranchised,” she said. “We have already begun training senior secondary students on the use of tablets and digital styluses for essay responses.”
On curriculum-related anxieties, she clarified that students will not be restricted by subject groupings. “Science students are not barred from taking Economics as an elective,” she emphasized. She also announced that WAEC has extended the window for uploading Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) and encouraged schools to conduct at least three assessments per student to strengthen their records.
The chairperson further stated that WAEC has intensified its war against examination malpractice through increased collaboration with security agencies and the introduction of paper serialisation—an initiative that yielded remarkable success during the 2025 WASSCE for school candidates.
Declaring the meeting open, Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, commended WAEC for its bold, timely and forward-looking reforms, describing its anti-malpractice measures as essential for safeguarding the future of young learners. Represented by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, the governor pledged continued support for all initiatives that promote honesty, discipline and fairness in schools.
He added that Abia was proud to host the NNC, noting that the state’s progress in the education sector was built on deliberate planning, solid reforms and a commitment to raising globally competitive students rooted in local values.
The Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to credible examinations despite emerging challenges. He highlighted the NNC as WAEC’s highest decision-making body in Nigeria and praised its membership of distinguished Nigerians for ensuring policies that reflect the best interest of the public.
This year’s meeting also featured multiple award presentations. The National Distinction/Merit Award honoured the top three WASSCE candidates of 2024, while the best three Abia schools received the WAEC Endowment Fund Book Prize valued at $5,000. Outstanding male and female candidates were decorated with the Omo N’Oba Erediauwa Coronation Trophy. Public secondary school students who excelled were also rewarded with the WAEC/Vatebra Merit Award, which came with a cheque of ₦2,500,000. Long-serving WAEC staff who have dedicated 20 years to the council were also celebrated.
The spotlight of the event shone brightly on Master Qoreebullah Olamilekan Ajisafe, a former student of Eamaan Foundation College and currently a Medicine and Surgery undergraduate at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun. Ajisafe emerged overall best performer in the 2024 WASSCE by scoring A1 in all eight subjects, with an impressive T-Score of 580.8535.
Reflecting on his journey, he said his motivation came from an unexpected disappointment. “I scored 287 in UTME, and I considered it very low,” he admitted. “I thought JAMB was an easy exam, so I didn’t take my study routine seriously. When the result came out, I didn’t like it. That moment inspired me to change everything—my pattern, my friends and how I used my time.”
The 63rd NNC meeting closed with renewed confidence in WAEC’s reforms and strengthened hope for a more credible, technologically driven and student-focused assessment system across the nation.