WAEC Withdraws Result, Blames “Technical Failures”

Discussions about the state of education in Nigeria resurfaced this week following the poor performance of candidates in the annual exams conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Results uploaded on August 4, 2025, sparked immediate outrage, with many describing it as the worst performance in a decade. According to Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of National Office at WAEC Nigeria, only 38.32% of the 1,969,313 candidates earned credit passes in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Addressing the decline, Dr. Amos Dangut explained that the poor performance can be attributed to the newly implemented anti-malpractice laws, which include the serialisation of objective papers in key subjects. Dr. Dangut also ascribed the results to the newly introduced Computer-Based Testing in certain subjects. The public conversation was already veering toward the urgent need for education reform until WAEC abruptly withdrew the results for review, citing “technical failures” and “an internal post-result release procedure revealing some bugs in the data,” and instructed candidates to check their results again in 24 hours. 

Deja vu? Just like Jamb earlier this year, WAEC 2025 was fraught with disorganization. It was reported during the exams that students were delayed in their schools across several states because the Council failed to deliver the English questions at the appropriate time. Pictures circulated of students writing their exams with the aid of torchlights and candles due to the late-night examination. In one tragic case, students at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol LGA of Taraba State had to remain at school overnight because their exam did not commence until 8 p.m. With heavy rainfall and poor infrastructure, some waited until 1 a.m., eventually leading to the collapse of the exam hall and hospitalisation of multiple students.

WAEC’s logistical failures have drawn sharp criticisms. Its push toward computer-based testing has also come under fire. Haruna Danjuma, National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), termed the initiative “unrealistic.”, stressing that the country lacks adequate computer literacy and infrastructure to ensure the smooth sailing of the initiative. 

These recurrent failures demand immediate intervention from the government to address the continuous failures of the examination bodies, WAEC and JAMB.  It is self-evident that these exams are a prerequisite for any student looking to get admission to University. In a country where academic achievement is highly valued, these mishaps place unfair pressure on students, a grim reality that the late 19-year-old Timilehin Opesusi faced.

Opesusi, who tragically committed suicide by ingesting rodent poison over a low score in the 2025 JAMB, had applied to study microbiology and had scored higher in the examination in the previous year. Unfortunately, 30 minutes after Opesusi passed on, she received a provisional admission via her Gmail account. Her death occurred before JAMB admitted to the glitches caused by their incompetence. The board later requested that the exams be rescheduled for those who were affected by the errors. 

Calls for accountability are growing louder. Adejuwon Olatunji, Assistant General Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students, has demanded that those responsible be held accountable and sanctioned. In his words, “If WAEC wants to enforce integrity, it must start with itself.” As public outrage mounts, the pressure is now on WAEC to restore trust and ensure this breach never happens again.