The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has formally apologised to candidates and the public over the technical issues discovery in the recently released results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In a statement on Thursday, the body, through its the Ag. Head of Public Affairs, from the council’s headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, Moyosola Adesina, disclosed that measures were implemented to combat examination malpractice, which included a new innovation known as paper serialisation by WAEC.
The council, therefore assured to resolve the issues with transparency and urgency within the next 24 hours.
WAEC expressed deep regret for any inconvenience caused to the affected candidates, urging those who have already checked their results to do so again after the 24-hour period for updated information.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our candidates and the public as we work diligently to correct this matter,” the statement read. “WAEC remains steadfast in its mission to uphold excellence, fairness, and transparency in all our assessment processes.”
NAPPS president says night exams affected performance as WAEC releases results
Earlier, the President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Yomi Otubela, has raised an alarm over the recent conduct of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), calling the scheduling of exams at night deeply troubling and counterproductive to students’ success.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television on Wednesday, Otubela described reports of students writing examinations in the dark, using candles and torchlights, as unacceptable. He said such conditions were detrimental to the integrity of the exams and likely contributed to the disappointing performance recorded this year.
“We cannot overrule the fact that the condition in which the examination was written in some states is not acceptable to us,” he stated. “The fact that children were writing exams late into the night with candles and torchlights cannot be a standard that will allow us to have commendable results.”
His remarks follow backlash over WASSCE papers conducted late at night in May 2025, particularly in Taraba and Ogun states. Images and videos of students writing papers in poorly lit environments sparked public outrage and renewed calls for reform in the country’s examination processes.
