Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have criticised the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) over the sudden and drastic revision of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, calling for an independent investigation and sweeping reforms in the council’s management.
They warned that inconsistencies in such a high-stakes examination — a prerequisite for tertiary education — could erode both local and international confidence in Nigeria’s academic qualifications.
WAEC had initially released the 2025 results on July 4, announcing that only 38.32 percent of 1,969,313 candidates obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The announcement sparked outrage, with parents and groups calling for the cancellation of certain papers.
Days later, WAEC admitted to discovering “technical glitches” and temporarily withdrew access to the results. When the portal was reopened on Friday, the pass rate had been revised upward to 62.96 percent, nearly doubling the original figure.
At a news conference in Lagos, WAEC explained that the changes followed the resolution of “serialisation issues” in subjects such as Mathematics, English, Biology, and Economics. The revised data showed that 1,239,884 candidates — representing 62.96 percent — now had five credits, including English and Mathematics.
However, this explanation has not calmed public outrage.
The founder of Exam Ethics Marshall International, Ike Onyechere, described the development as “a national disaster,” accusing WAEC of “damaging the education process.” He urged the Federal Ministry of Education, the presidency, and the National Assembly to launch an urgent investigation, and called for a total shake-up of WAEC’s leadership.
Rejecting WAEC’s technical justification, Onyechere insisted that the real issue lay in deeper administrative failures.
A teacher, Oluwaseun Omotubora, said the mass failure recorded in the first results reflected the poor conditions under which the examinations were conducted.
“Systemic failures caused exams to be written at midnight using torchlight,” Omotubora said. “A responsible exam body should have recalled and reviewed answer sheets after noticing mass failure, before releasing results. WAEC should have called for new exams in affected subjects instead of undermining the process’s integrity.”
A parent, Ifeoluwa Atteh, also demanded an independent probe to determine whether candidates unfairly failed or passed in either of the two results.
She said: “We need deeper analysis to ensure results reflect true learning, not just adjustments. The authenticity of the newly released results must be verified.”
Another parent, Nathaniel Adamu, blamed the glitches on poor funding for the education sector. He argued that better budgetary allocation could help examination bodies conduct credible assessments, reduce malpractice, and equip them with the tools to avoid such controversies.
Chidinma Nwafor, a parent and teacher, claimed WAEC’s handling of the situation had “damaged its credibility,” suggesting that public outrage forced the review.
Meanwhile, several candidates confirmed that their grades in compulsory subjects had improved after the revision. Many said their earlier frustrations — having passed all other subjects but failed English or Mathematics — had been eased.
One candidate, Chisom Jonah, who attended a public school in Abuja, said her English Language grade improved from D7 to C6.
“I cleared all the subjects I sat for, except the English Language, which had been reviewed now. I am excited about the new results because I can now pursue my university admission. I scored 230 in JAMB, and I applied for Mass Communication in a Federal University,” she said.
Another candidate, Favour Akindele, said her Mathematics score improved from D7 to C4. While pleased, she warned that such inconsistencies could undermine WAEC’s credibility.
