WAEC Results Under Fire: Stakeholders Demand Probe
Stakeholders in the education sector have once again expressed their discontent with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) regarding the abrupt change in the recently announced 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
In separate interviews conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, these stakeholders are calling for independent inquiries into the situation and a complete overhaul of WAEC’s management team.
They argued that treating the WASSCE—a standardized assessment for secondary school graduates and a prerequisite for university admissions—as a “trial and error” process is unacceptable.
They highlighted that inconsistencies in such critical examinations could severely undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s academic qualifications, both nationally and internationally.
It’s important to note that WAEC released the 2025 WASSCE results on July 4, revealing that only 38.32 percent of the 1,969,313 candidates achieved credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The widespread failure prompted significant backlash, with parents and various groups demanding the annulment of certain examinations, particularly English Language and Mathematics.
Following this, WAEC announced that it identified technical issues during an internal assessment, leading to a temporary suspension of access to the results.
Upon reopening its online results portal on Friday, August 10, the pass rate was adjusted upwards to 62.96 percent, effectively doubling the initial rate.
In a press briefing in Lagos, WAEC stated that after a review of the process, the revised statistics indicated that 1,239,884 out of the 1,969,313 candidates, or 62.96 percent, now have five credits, including English and mathematics.
The Council attributed the initial inconsistencies to “serialization issues” in subjects like mathematics, English, biology, and economics.
However, this situation provoked strong reactions from various stakeholders, including candidates, parents, and educators.
Ike Onyechere, the founder of Exam Ethics Marshall International (EEMI), raised concerns about the council’s credibility and the integrity of Nigeria’s education assessment system.
Onyechere referred to the situation as “a national disaster,” accusing WAEC of “compromising the entire education process.”
“It is unacceptable to treat such a significant examination as a subject of trial and error. Today, the pass rate is 38 percent; tomorrow, it becomes 63 percent.
“How can we have faith in the authenticity of these results?” he questioned.
Onyechere urged the Federal Ministry of Education, the Presidency, and the National Assembly to undertake an immediate investigation into the issue, insisting on a reshuffle of WAEC’s leadership.
“Is this issue of fluctuating results isolated to Nigeria, or is it also occurring in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and other West African nations?
“And if it’s only happening in Nigeria, then the Federal Ministry of Education must clarify the situation to the country,” he stated.
Onyechere dismissed WAEC’s explanation regarding the serialization of examinations as “technical excuses” that do not address more profound administrative flaws.
“This is a serious matter. We are jeopardizing the future of these students. Universities, employers, and international institutions depend on these results.
“If the integrity of these results is compromised, the repercussions will be significant.
”Therefore, those responsible for leadership must take responsibility, review the situation thoroughly, and implement necessary investigations with serious consequences,” he asserted.
Oluwaseun Omotubora, a teacher, remarked that the earlier mass failure was indicative of how the examinations were conducted.
Omotubora pointed out that one cannot expect better outcomes given a systemic failure that resulted in examinations being administered at midnight and under inadequate lighting.
She suggested that upon observing the widespread failure, a responsible examination body should have recalled the answer sheets for the affected subjects, reviewed them, and identified the issues before releasing the results.
She remarked that WAEC ought to have organized a new examination for the subjects in question instead of providing a basis for questioning the integrity of the organization and its processes.
A parent, Mrs. Ifeoluwa Atteh, advocated for an independent inquiry to ascertain whether candidates had been unjustly failed or passed in the two sets of results issued.
Atteh urged caution, calling for a more thorough examination to ensure the results genuinely reflected better learning outcomes rather than just intentional modifications.
“The entire WAEC results are perplexing. Does it imply that the previously released results have simply changed now, or what?” she inquired.
She demanded a comprehensive inquiry to confirm the veracity of the newly issued results.
Another parent, Nathaniel Adamu, linked the technical issues claimed by WAEC to inadequate spending on education.
Adamu mentioned that if the nation could allocate its educational budget appropriately, all examination agencies would be able to conduct reliable assessments for students.
He stated that a suitable education budget would help tackle ongoing examination fraud and provide the examination bodies with the necessary resources to improve their operations.
“Look at the financial plans of most state governments; very few funds are designated for the education sector.
“Resources, educational tools, and other facilities necessary for quality education are lacking, and teachers are not adequately rewarded or motivated.
“As a result, teachers are not performing to the best of their abilities, since someone who is underpaid is likely to cut corners.
“We also face the issue of examination malpractice, which is promoted by parents who are eager to do anything to ensure their children’s success,” he remarked.
He urged the government at all levels to make a concerted effort to rejuvenate the education sector.
Additionally, Mrs. Chidinma Nwafor, a parent and educator, stated that WAEC’s inconsistent statements regarding the release of results have diminished the council’s credibility.
Nwafor pointed out that the public outcry and pressure on the examination body following the initial results release led to a reassessment of the results, which cannot be trusted.
Meanwhile, most candidates interviewed by NAN indicated that in the first results released by WAEC, they received D7 in either English or mathematics, but in the new results, they were awarded credits in both subjects.
Simultaneously, many candidates who spoke with NAN reported that, in the earlier results published by WAEC, they had D7, F9, or E8 in either English Language or Mathematics.
They noted that in the new results uploaded by the examination body, their grades in one or both of these subjects were adjusted to credits.
This adjustment has alleviated their previous frustrations regarding passing other subjects while failing in the two mandatory ones—mathematics and English language.
Chisom Jonah, who took the exams at a public school in Abuja, mentioned her English Language score was updated from D7 to C6.
“I passed all the subjects I took, except English Language, which has now been revised.
“I am thrilled with the new results because I can now seek admission into university. I scored 230 in JAMB and applied for Mass Communication at a Federal University,” she shared.
Another candidate, Favour Akindele, indicated her mathematics score was upgraded from D7 to C4 in the newly published results from WAEC.
While celebrating the change, Akindele expressed concern that such discrepancies could undermine the examination body’s credibility.
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