There was widespread outrage on Thursday after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) temporarily denied candidates access to its online result portal for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, citing technical glitches discovered after a post-release review.
In an official statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC’s National Office, Moyosola Adesina, the Council disclosed that internal quality checks revealed bugs in its backend systems, prompting the shutdown of the result checker portal.
“As part of our efforts to curb malpractice, the Council embarked on an innovation—paper serialisation—already deployed by a national examination body. It is worth noting that this is in line with best assessment practices,” the statement read in part.
WAEC explained that the new serialisation method, implemented in key subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics, was intended to enhance exam integrity. However, the approach reportedly triggered system errors after results were released, affecting the accuracy and accessibility of scores.
The Council apologised for the disruption and advised candidates who had already checked their results to return from Friday, August 9, to access updated and corrected versions.
“We extend our deep and sincere apologies to all affected candidates and the general public,” WAEC said. “We appreciate their patience and understanding as we work diligently to resolve this matter with transparency and urgency within the next 24 hours.”
The clarification came less than 24 hours after WAEC announced via its official X handle (formerly Twitter) that the result portal had been temporarily shut down due to technical issues.
Public frustration over the development was immediate and intense. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Association of Parent-Teacher Associations of Nigeria (NAPTAN), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) were among groups that strongly condemned the situation.
Speaking on behalf of NAPTAN, National President Haruna Danjuma acknowledged WAEC’s willingness to take responsibility but expressed skepticism about the planned transition to full computer-based testing (CBT) for public exams by 2026.
“It is good for whoever made a mistake to acknowledge it. But this idea of moving WASSCE and NECO entirely to CBT is unrealistic,” he said, citing inadequate infrastructure and poor computer literacy, especially in rural schools.
Danjuma called on state governments to begin immediate investments in digital infrastructure in schools and start training current SS2 students in preparation for future digital exams.
Meanwhile, NANS came down hard on WAEC, with its Assistant General Secretary, Adejuwon Olatunji, calling for the resignation of the Council’s leadership.
“This incident is not just regrettable; it is a clear sign that the leadership of WAEC has failed,” Olatunji stated. “Introducing new systems without proper testing or backup plans shows disregard for the emotional, academic, and financial impact on candidates.”
He accused the examination body of negligence, adding that the error had caused serious psychological distress to thousands of candidates and their families.
“Some students received incorrect results. Others couldn’t access theirs. Now, WAEC quietly makes corrections as if it’s no big deal,” he said. “This isn’t just a technical failure — it’s a failure of leadership and accountability. We demand sanctions.”
The backlash comes just days after WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, revealed that only 38.32 per cent of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat the 2025 WASSCE obtained five credits including English and Mathematics — the worst performance in over a decade.
With over 192,000 results already withheld for alleged malpractice and public confidence in its processes shaken, Thursday’s development has further intensified scrutiny on WAEC’s preparedness to digitise examination delivery and result management.
As the Council races to fix the errors within its promised 24-hour window, education stakeholders say the incident should serve as a wake-up call on the urgent need for investment in examination technology and stronger oversight of national assessment bodies.
