News
WAEC Releases Results of 2023 WASSCE for Private Candidates
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the results of private candidates, who wrote the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), according to a statement signed by the Acting Head, Public Affairs, Moyosore Adesina.
The statement in details:
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, wishes to announce to candidates, stakeholders, and the general public that the results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates, 2023–Second Series, have been released.
The examination was conducted in Nigeria between Friday, October 27, 2023 and Wednesday, December 20, 2023. The Coordination of Examiners and Marking of Candidates’ Scripts were carried out at SEVEN (7) Marking Venues in Lagos, Ibadan, Akure, Benin, Enugu, Uyo, and Kaduna from Tuesday, January 16, to Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
A total of FOUR THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO (4,162) Examiners participated in the Coordination and Marking Exercise.
EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED (85,600) candidates, representing 10.07% increase, when compared with the 2022 entry figure of SEVENTY-SEVEN THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT (77,768), entered for the examination, while EIGHTY THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND FOUR (80,904) candidates sat the examination at FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT (568) centres spread across the nooks and crannies of the country.
Amongst the candidates that sat the examination, TWO HUNDRED AND ELEVEN (211) candidates, with varying degrees of Special Needs, were registered for the examination. Out of this number, THIRTY-THREE (33) were visually challenged, TWENTY-ONE (21) had impaired hearing and THIRTY (30) were Albinos. All these candidates with special needs were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination.
Of the total number of EIGHTY THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND FOUR (80,904) candidates that sat the examination, THIRTY-NINE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY (39,790) were males while FORTY-ONE THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN (41,114) were females, representing 49.18% and 50.82%, respectively.
Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, SEVENTY-EIGHT THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETEEN (78,419) candidates, representing 96.93% have their results fully processed and released while TWO THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE (2,485) candidates, representing 3.07% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors traceable to them. However, efforts are being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released, soon.
The analysis of the performance of the candidates shows that out of the EIGHTY THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND FOUR (80,904) candidates that sat the examination: FORTY-SIX THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN (46,267) candidates representing 57.19% obtained credit and above in a minimum of FIVE (5) subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics); THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY (35,830) candidates representing 44.29% obtained credit and above in a minimum of FIVE (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
Of this number, SEVENTEEN THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE (17,631) i.e., 49.21% were male candidates, while EIGHTEEN THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE (18,199), i.e., 50.79% were female candidates. The percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021 and 2022 – Second Series, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 48.61% and 42.16% respectively. Thus, there is a marginal increase of 2.13% in performance in this regard.
This analysis, however, cannot be compared with that of WASSCE for School Candidates. Whereas the candidates in WASSCE for School Candidates are compelled to sit eight or nine subjects, the candidates in WASSCE for Private Candidates, though can register for eight or nine subjects, are not compelled to take all. They are free to sit, even one subject, depending on the deficiency they want to remedy. For them, therefore, the examination is only a remedial one – a remedy for an existing deficiency. From the above, it will not be true or fair to say that the performance in this examination has dwindled.
The results of SEVEN THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO (7,192) candidates, representing 8.89% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice. The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration. Thereafter, the Committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates.
Candidates may check their results by visiting www.waecdirect.org and ascertain their status before visiting the Digital Certificate platform (www.waec.org) to access the digital copies of their certificates, which have been released along with their results. Candidates may also be required to apply for the printing of the hard copies of their certificates, online, through the WAEC Certificate Request Portal (e-Certman) website: https://certrequest.waec.ng/.
WAEC-Nigeria would like to congratulate all candidates who have worked hard and achieved great results. Our profound gratitude also goes to the Government at all levels, Security Agencies, Ministries of Education, Staff, Supervisors, Invigilators, Custodians, Examiners, and other Ad-hoc personnel who, despite all odds, availed the Council of their services in ensuring the successful conduct of the examination and marking of scripts. The results are a testament to their dedication and hard work. We wish all the candidates the best in their future endeavours.
Once again, we assure all our stakeholders of our dedication and commitment to serving the Nigerian Child.
The West African Examinations Council has revoked the licences of 574 secondary schools in Nigeria.
WAEC announced that the affected schools were found to have committed examination malpractices.
The examination body also stated that the schools will not be allowed to conduct examinations even as the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, commences from Thursday, April 24, 2025.
This was disclosed by the Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, during a press briefing on Thursday at the headquarters of the examination body in Lagos.
Dangut said WAEC had forwarded the list of the affected schools to the Nigerian government.
“This year, we have shared with them a total of 574 schools that have had their recognition withdrawn, and that is also going to be the same for all examining bodies.
“So, these are those that have got their license revoked as far as the examination centre is concerned. So we will not conduct examinations there. We don’t know them as far as conducting examinations,” Dangut said.
For the forthcoming 2025 WASSCE, Dangut stated that 1,973,253 candidates registered for the examination from 23,554 schools.
He added that 979,228 males and 994,025 females would take part in the examination.
The Punch
Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has cautioned against calls for self-defence from mauruding bandits and killer herders, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent comments by retired General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
General Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, had argued that reliance on the government for protection was no longer tenable given the spate of violence and killings in the country.
“It is now very clear that the government alone cannot protect us. We must stand up and defend ourselves, our families, and our lands before these criminals overrun the entire country,” Danjuma said during a public event in Takum, Taraba State, on Saturday.
But Governor Namadi rejected that approach, describing it as a dangerous path.
“He (T.Y. Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and his words deserve respect and analysis,” Namadi said. “But I think if you say citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, you’re causing anarchy. I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.”
He argued that rather than encourage armed self-defence, the government at all levels must continue to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The government is doing its best in terms of security arrangements. If you allow the people to defend themselves, that means you are encouraging a crisis between farmers and herders,” the governor warned.
Namadi cited his administration’s approach to resolving the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a better alternative. According to him, when he assumed office, he prioritised non-violent conflict resolution strategies.
“When we came in, we decided to employ a lot of strategies and tactics, including dialogue,” he said. “We engaged traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both farmers and herders. We sat down, reached a consensus, and established standing committees to reconcile all parties.”
He added that these efforts helped halt a decades-long conflict:
“The people now understand that the 25 years spent fighting and killing each other were not worth it. Today, they are able to work, interact, and live together in peace.”
Governor Namadi further noted that Jigawa is currently not among the states facing severe threats such as insurgency or mass killings by bandits. Instead, the primary challenge had been farmer-herder clashes, which his administration has successfully curtailed.
“We thank God that Jigawa State is not affected by insurgency or insecurity for no. The major issue we are dealing with is the herders-farmers clash, and we are addressing it decisively,” he said.
Despite the worsening security in other parts of the country, Governor Namadi insisted that self-defence is not a viable solution and could deepen the crisis:
“So, I think the government is doing its best, both at the federal and state levels. The issue of asking people to defend themselves — I think we have not reached that level yet.
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
