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HNO says council will avert last year’s errors leading to review of results
By Gabriel Dike
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Monday disclosed that 1.9 million candidates would write the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) nationwide.
WAEC Nigeria Head of National Office (HNO), Dr Amos Dangut, who announced this in Lagos, assured stakeholders that there would not be a repeat of last year’s incident, which led to the withdrawal and review of candidates’ results.
He noted: “We have learnt our lesson. I assure Nigerians that such errors will not happen again. We have put in place measures to avert a repeat performance of last year’s episode.”
Dangut, who acknowledged insecurity in certain areas, said the council is working with state governments and security agencies to ensure the hitch-free conduct of the CB-WASSCE.
He revealed that 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 public and private schools enrolled for the examination nationwide.
According to him, out of this figure, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female.
“This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.
“Candidates will be examined in 37 subjects, comprising 97 papers. About 29,000 senior secondary school teachers, nominated by various Ministries of Education, are participating as supervisors,” he stated.
The WAEC HNO said the CB-WASSCE for school candidates in 2026 started on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, with practicals, and will end on Friday, 19 June 2026. “The examination covers a duration of eight weeks and three days.”
Dangut recalled that the council introduced its maiden CB-WASSCE for school candidates in 2025 and that while some schools (40) enrolled for it, many opted for the traditional pen-and-paper mode.
He added: “This year, more schools (450) have chosen the CB-WASSCE option due to its seamless nature, alignment with global best practices, and the success of last year’s edition. This is also in line with the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Education.”
The HNO said, in addition, that some offshore schools in neighbouring countries that use the WAEC syllabus also opted for the Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates in 2026.
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He explained that in the council’s pursuit of leveraging modern Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to improve service delivery, it has continued the serialisation of examination papers.
According to him, the innovation would ensure that no two candidates have the same question sequence, thus upholding the academic and moral integrity of the National Policy on Education, stating, “this year, we have further refined this system to enhance its efficiency.”
Dangut noted that the National Identification Number (NIN) was included in the registration process, in compliance with Federal Government directives.
On insecurity in some specific areas, he acknowledged the security challenges in some parts of the country, adding, “conducting examinations under such conditions has been difficult but surmountable.”
He said the council would continue to partner with the Nigeria Police Force, other security outfits and state governments to provide security for the smooth conduct of the examination.
Dangut confirmed that in some specific situations, state governments and schools have been given the power to relocate candidates to safer venues to sit the examination.
The WAEC boss also commended them for their collaborative efforts, especially in combating examination malpractice, saying, “the council decisively addresses examination malpractice. Penalties will be meted out to erring candidates, supervisors, and schools, as approved by the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC).”
Dr Dangut disclosed that awareness campaigns, seminars and sensitisation materials (flyers, banners, posters) have been deployed nationwide to educate stakeholders, and warned that candidates must write only the papers assigned to them; any deviation will attract consequences.
He further advised parents and guardians to encourage their wards to study diligently and avoid malpractice, and warned that schools engaging in mass cheating would be de-recognised, officials punished, and candidates sanctioned.
“The council, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police Force, and other stakeholders, is fully prepared to deliver a credible CB-WASSCE for school candidates, 2026,” the HNO stated.
He said the CB-WASSCE results would be released 45 days after the last paper, while certificates would be printed and issued to schools within 90 days, and that digital copies of certificates would also be available via the WAEC Digital Certificate platform.
The HNO appealed to politicians during campaigns to take cognisance of the fact that candidates would be writing the CB-WASSCE and should avoid any political activities that could disrupt the school examination.
“There are elections that could be rescheduled; politicians should note that WASSCE is an international exam. We appeal to the government and agencies to consult the council before taking any decision that might affect candidates,” he argued.
