Amos Dangut, the Head of National Office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria, has warned candidates, exam supervisors, teachers, schools, principals, parents, and individuals against examination malpractice, including association with suspicious websites.
Dangut gave the warning during a media conference at the WAEC headquarters in Yaba, Lagos.
Dangut also announced the commencement of this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
According to him, a total of 1.84 million SS3 students will sit the exam which begins nationwide today.
He maintained that the students, from a total of 22,229 government and approved private secondary schools across the country, consist of 902,328 males (representing 49.73%) and 912,016 females (representing 50.27%) of the total candidates, higher by 192,948 candidates than last year.
All the students will be examined in a total of 76 subjects, and the exam will last seven weeks and six days, with results released 45 days after the last paper.
He announced that candidates will have the opportunity to collect their certificates from their respective schools at no additional cost, starting 90 days after the examination.
He emphasised that WAEC is fully prepared to conduct a seamless examination, having implemented comprehensive measures and arrangements to ensure its success.
Dangut assured that the exams will be conducted across all 36 states of Nigeria, including regions with security challenges, and the Federal Capital Territory.
He highlighted teh collaboration of WAEC with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to ensure the safety of candidates, exam officials, and materials throughout the examination period, affirming the agencies’ readiness to provide adequate protection.
Dangut also disclosed that 30,000 teachers, nominated by state ministries of education, will serve as exam supervisors. Additionally, the examination will be held simultaneously in three other WAEC member countries: Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, with Ghana scheduled for August.
He stressed that WAEC is committed to preventing exam malpractice and will prosecute anyone found engaging in such activities. Furthermore, Dangut reassured candidates that WAEC will adhere strictly to syllabi, urging students to prepare adequately for the exams.
To support students’ preparation efforts, WAEC has made past question papers with marking schemes available online for easy access.
Dangut encouraged candidates to study diligently, assuring them that success will follow their hard work.
