Education

Students, parents, educationists berate WAEC over results review

Published

11 months ago

August 8, 2025

Students, parents, educationists berate WAEC over results review

Students, parents, educationists, and stakeholders in the education sector have criticized the review of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results by the management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The examination body had on Monday released the results, which were widely regarded as the worst in 10 years. Only 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32%, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Newstrends learned that this year’s results have triggered a flood of complaints from relevant bodies in the education sector, largely due to the mass failure in the English Language subject, which appeared to prompt the examination body to conduct a review.

In a statement, however, the examination body attributed the review to what it described as “technical glitches” encountered in the four subjects conducted with a paper serialization approach aimed at curbing examination malpractice.

“As part of our efforts to curb examination malpractice, the Council embarked on an innovation (paper serialization) already deployed by a national examination body. It is also worth noting that this is in line with best practices in assessment. The paper serialization was carried out in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics. However, an internal post-result release procedure revealed some technical bugs in the results,” the statement read.

The council stressed that these technical glitches led to a situation where result-checkers could not access the portal to check their results. It assured them that the challenges would be resolved within the next 24 hours (today). The council also advised candidates who had previously checked their results to recheck them.

“The Council, being a responsive body that is sensitive to fairness and professionalism, has decided to urgently review and correct the technical glitches that led to the situation. As a result, access to the WASSCE (SC) 2025 results has been temporarily denied on the result checker portal. We extend our deep and sincere apologies to all affected candidates and the general public. We appreciate their patience and understanding as we work diligently to resolve this matter with transparency and urgency within the next twenty-four (24) hours. On this note, candidates who have previously checked their results are advised to re-check them after 24 hours from now. WAEC remains committed to upholding excellence, fairness, and transparency in all our assessment processes,” the statement read.

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Education ministry confirms WAEC result glitch

The Federal Ministry of Education confirmed that a technical glitch occurred and commended the West African Examinations Council for its “swift response, transparency, and professionalism in resolving the glitch,” which affected the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.

It added that the updated results will be accessible via the result checker portal within the next 24 hours. The ministry, however, assured the public of its commitment to maintaining the integrity of national examinations.

In a press release, the ministry said the issue, which emerged during post-release processing of results—particularly in subjects where paper serialization was introduced—has been addressed following a full briefing of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa.

The statement also acknowledged the patience of affected candidates and emphasized the ministry’s “continued pursuit of fairness and credibility in assessment processes.”

This incident, the ministry noted, aligns with the minister’s broader reform agenda, which places examination integrity at the core of education policy.

“As part of this agenda, WAEC and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will begin a phased rollout of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) starting in November 2026, beginning with objective components. The adoption of CBT represents a critical step toward curbing malpractice, preventing question leakages, and restoring public trust in the examination system. It is a necessary reform to ensure Nigerian students are assessed strictly on merit and that their certificates retain credibility both locally and internationally,” the statement read.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to working with WAEC, NECO, and other stakeholders to build an assessment system that reflects the true abilities of Nigerian students and strengthens public confidence in the nation’s education framework.

A parent, Mr. Samuel Ese, criticized the decision to review the results, calling it the “dumbest move” driven by complaints of mass failure. He urged parents to guide their children to study and not to cheat or depend on favoritism to pass examinations.

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“Those who have failed, have failed. They should go back and rewrite the exams if they have failed, not look for ways to review results to favor those who have connections,” he said. “Such a decision is one of the dumbest moves to review the results; it means that the government is one of the problems we have in the educational sector. Parents should work on their children, allow your children to study, and don’t encourage your children to cheat in order to succeed.”

Another parent, Mrs. Benedicta Godsple, said the idea of reviewing the results because of mass failure is not the best way to tackle educational deficiencies. Instead, she said, the government should work on ways to strengthen the educational system.

She said that if the mistake is not from the examination body, candidates should be encouraged to prepare properly and rewrite the exams next year.

“Why is it called an examination? It is so because if you don’t pass, you can prepare to rewrite next time and pass and not think of reviewing the results to favor anybody. Our educational system should be strengthened, our secondary education should be given attention, and quality teachers should be employed to properly guide our children. If these are done, they will pass external exams,” she said.

Another parent, Malam Aminu Ahmad of Area 11, Abuja, expressed optimism, saying he remains calm about the review process.

“My only hope and prayer is that Allah makes it a successful and hitch-free process. Even if they eventually review it, my daughter and I believe her results will remain unchanged. She scored As and Bs, and they’re going to stay that way,” he said. “Again, may the process be just and fair to all the students.”

Hajiya Fauziyya, another parent, expressed concerns over the timing and necessity of the decision to review the results, saying her child’s results must not be affected.

“I think something must be wrong with WAEC. They should not try that thing, it’s bad and ill-timed. My daughter had As in her result, so now what are they even saying? I don’t know how much I spent on her education. You know it’s a private school; we pay for everything,” she said.

According to Abubakar Adamu, a father of one of the students that sat for this year’s WAEC, his son passed the examination with flying colors. He said his fear is that the review shouldn’t affect those who have already met the requirements for university admission.

“My son has eight credits and one pass. I have no problem if the examination council decides to review the results; the only issue is that those that have made it shouldn’t be negatively affected,” he said.

Students, parents, educationists berate WAEC over results review

Daily Trust

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Education

PCN Raises Novena University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Admission Quota to 120

Published

4 days ago

June 27, 2026

Trends Admin

PCN Raises Novena University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Admission Quota to 120

Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, has secured a major boost for its healthcare training capacity following the approval by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to increase the admission quota for its Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programme to 120 students.

The approval, conveyed in a letter signed by the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharm. Ibrahim B. Ahmed, followed a comprehensive verification and monitoring exercise carried out by the Council at the university’s Faculty of Pharmacy.

As the statutory regulator of pharmacy education in Nigeria, the Council said the decision was based on its satisfaction with the remarkable improvements recorded in the faculty’s physical infrastructure, teaching facilities and human resources.

The increased quota is expected to expand access to pharmacy education for aspiring students while supporting the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen the training of healthcare professionals across the country.

The development further reinforces Novena University’s growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading private institutions for medical and health sciences education.

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Established as the first private university in Delta State, Novena University has continued to consolidate its position through the delivery of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across a wide range of disciplines, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Optometry, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Law, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Accounting, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Political Science, Intelligence and Security Studies, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Anatomy.

Reacting to the approval, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Godwin Nduka, expressed appreciation to the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria for its effective regulatory and supervisory role.

He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to continually investing in academic excellence, modern facilities and quality manpower development to meet Nigeria’s healthcare and national development needs.

Professor Nduka noted that the latest approval aligns with the university’s vision of complementing government efforts in producing highly skilled professionals capable of driving national growth and improving healthcare delivery.

PCN Raises Novena University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Admission Quota to 120

Education

2026 BECE Results Out as NECO Announces Re-sit Dates

Published

5 days ago

June 25, 2026

Trends Admin

2026 BECE Results Out as NECO Announces Re-sit Dates

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with a total of 186,291 candidates participating in the examination conducted across Nigeria and five foreign countries.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, following the successful conclusion of the 2026 BECE Award Committee Meeting held at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

According to NECO, candidates sat for examinations in 12 subjects during the exercise, which took place between April 20 and April 30, 2026.

The examination body stated that the release of the 2026 BECE results followed the approval of the Award Committee after reviewing reports on the conduct of the examination, the marking process, and the compilation of candidates’ scores.

The Award Committee meeting was chaired by Dr Folake Olatunji-David, Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, who represented the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

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Speaking at the meeting, Olatunji-David expressed satisfaction with the procedures leading to the successful conduct of the examination and the release of the results, commending NECO for maintaining standards in the administration of the assessment.

The meeting was attended by NECO management officials, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, and selected secondary school principals from across the country.

The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) serves as the final assessment for students completing Junior Secondary School education and is a key requirement for placement into Senior Secondary School One (SSS1).

Meanwhile, the Award Committee approved July 22 and July 23, 2026, for the conduct of the BECE Re-sit Examination in Mathematics and English Studies.

NECO explained that the re-sit examination is specifically designed for candidates with conditional deficiencies in either Mathematics, English Studies, or both subjects.

According to the Council, the initiative provides affected candidates with an opportunity to correct deficiencies and obtain the certification required for progression into senior secondary school without repeating an academic year.

The examination body noted that the re-sit policy remains part of its efforts to support students facing challenges in core subjects while ensuring they continue their educational journey without unnecessary setbacks.

Education stakeholders have welcomed the move, describing it as a practical intervention that offers deserving students a second chance to meet admission requirements into SSS1.

NECO urged candidates, parents, and school administrators to access the results through approved channels and ensure all result details are properly verified.

The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to conducting credible and transparent examinations through improved assessment processes, enhanced monitoring systems, and strict compliance with examination regulations.

With the release of the NECO BECE 2026 results, thousands of students across Nigeria can now proceed with preparations for their transition into senior secondary education, while eligible candidates prepare for the upcoming re-sit examination.

2026 BECE Results Out as NECO Announces Re-sit Dates

Education

Teachers’ Union Demands Safe Rescue of Victims Before Schools Reopen in Oyo

Published

1 week ago

June 23, 2026

Trends Admin

Teachers’ Union Demands Safe Rescue of Victims Before Schools Reopen in Oyo

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State has declared that public schools across the state will remain closed until the government puts in place strong and verifiable security measures to protect both teachers and students following the recent mass abduction in Oriire Local Government Area.

The union said the decision followed the May 15 attack in which armed men invaded schools in parts of Oriire, abducting more than 40 students and teachers and killing at least two educators, an incident that has deepened fear and disrupted academic activities across the state.

The Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (Nigeria Union of Teachers) said the worsening insecurity forced its members to withdraw from classrooms indefinitely, warning that schools have become unsafe for both learners and educators. According to the union, the strike was not declared immediately after the attack. It said it initially engaged relevant authorities in hopes of a swift response but later concluded that the security situation had not improved enough to guarantee a safe return to classrooms.

Speaking in Ibadan, NUT Secretary, Mr. Olukayode Salami, said the reopening of schools now depends on two major conditions: the safe rescue of all abducted victims and the implementation of effective preventive security measures to stop future attacks. He said teachers would not return to classrooms until there is clear evidence of improved protection in vulnerable communities, especially in rural areas that have become frequent targets of attacks. Salami added that the emotional and psychological impact of the abduction has made it difficult for teachers to continue normal academic activities, noting that fear and panic have taken over many school environments.

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The union urged the government to urgently strengthen school security, especially in high-risk communities, stressing that educational institutions must no longer be treated as soft targets. It also called for increased security patrols, intelligence gathering, and joint operations involving conventional security agencies and local security groups to prevent further attacks. Salami stressed that the responsibility of protecting lives and property rests with the government, insisting that visible security presence is necessary to restore confidence among teachers, students, and parents.

The union disclosed that it has held several meetings with government officials and security stakeholders, leading to agreed action plans aimed at improving school safety across the state. However, it said it is still awaiting full implementation of these measures, particularly in vulnerable local government areas close to forested regions where recent attacks occurred.

As a result of the ongoing strike and security concerns, many schools in affected areas remain shut indefinitely, with no official timeline yet for reopening. Stakeholders have warned that academic activities may not resume fully until the government demonstrates clear commitment to securing schools and restoring public confidence. The union maintained that while schools cannot remain closed forever, safety must come before academic calendars.