The controversy surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results has intensified following allegations of grading irregularities and technical glitches by an official of an educational advocacy organisation.
Concerns over the integrity of the results emerged after several schools and parents questioned what they described as unusually poor performances by candidates who had previously demonstrated strong academic records.
The complaints have fuelled fresh scrutiny of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and its examination processes.
An education official, Alex Onyia, Chief Executive Officer of Educare, alleged that technical problems associated with the computer-based testing system may have adversely affected candidates’ scores. He called for a comprehensive review of the released results and urged WAEC to provide greater transparency regarding its grading methodology.
School administrators have also raised concerns over what they described as a sharp decline in the performance of students despite sustained investments in teaching quality, learning facilities and examination preparation.
Some schools reported that candidates who had consistently excelled in internal assessments received grades significantly below expectations in key subjects.
The growing discontent has sparked calls for an independent audit of the examination process, with stakeholders demanding clarification on whether technical glitches or errors in result processing may have affected candidates’ outcomes.
Responding to the concerns, WAEC maintained that its result processing procedures remain rigorous and quality-assured.
The examination body stated that investigations into the complaints were ongoing and assured affected candidates and schools that any identified issues would be addressed appropriately.
WAEC noted that withheld results could either be released or cancelled depending on the outcome of ongoing investigations.
The development has heightened anxiety among thousands of candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions, as uncertainty over the credibility of the results continues to dominate discussions within Nigeria’s education sector.
