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The Federal Ministry of Education has announced new steps to address weeks of public frustration over the 2026 WAEC results. After a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, NAPPS, the Ministry said it would not order a full independent investigation into the West African Examinations Council for now.
The meeting between the Honourable Minister of Education and NAPPS followed a wave of complaints from schools, parents and students about how WAEC handled this year’s WASSCE. In a summary dated 3rd September, NAPPS listed 10 agreements reached by both parties.
A major outcome of the meeting was the decision to focus more on NECO. The Ministry explained that its control over WAEC is limited because the body is run jointly by several West African countries. NECO, on the other hand, operates under the Federal Government, making it easier to reform and monitor. As a result, all schools, public and private, have been urged to embrace NECO more. NECO has also been asked to work closely with stakeholders, improve its public image, and convince parents that its certificate holds the same value as WAEC’s.
To tackle the recurring problem of clashing exam dates and late release of results, the Ministry has set up a committee. The committee will harmonize the timetables of all examination bodies in Nigeria and ensure results are released early enough for university and polytechnic admissions. It will also examine the financial and logistical burden that exam registration places on schools each year.
In response to the challenges with this year’s WAEC, JAMB has extended the deadline on its Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS. This will allow candidates to upload NECO results where their WAEC results were affected. The Ministry clarified that the extension applies only to the 2025/2026 admission cycle, which closed on 31st August 2026, and not to the next cycle.
The Ministry also addressed the issue of schools withholding WAEC results over unpaid fees, a complaint many parents have raised over the years. Private schools have been advised to explore other means of recovering debts instead of punishing students. WAEC was equally urged to improve its technology so that candidates can access their results directly without going through their schools.
On remarking, WAEC agreed to re-mark disputed scripts free of charge. So far, 28 schools have participated in the exercise. The outcome has not been encouraging. Twenty-five schools recorded no change in scores, while only three schools had minor adjustments. This suggests that remarking may not resolve most of the complaints raised by schools and parents.
The performance data presented to the Minister also raised questions. Overall, more candidates recorded credit passes in 2026 compared to 2025. However, many students who sat for the Computer-Based Examination, CBE, reportedly performed poorly. Two subjects recorded sharp declines. Igbo Language dropped by over 30 percent, while Physics fell by 19 percent. Both have been marked for further review, though no reason has been given for the sudden drop.
WAEC has been asked to convene another meeting with private schools and other stakeholders after the remarking and data review are completed. At that meeting, it is expected to present a detailed breakdown of results and respond to questions directly.
NAPPS had called for an independent panel to investigate WAEC’s conduct of the exams. The Ministry did not approve or reject the request. It said a decision would be taken after ongoing reviews and engagements are concluded. The Ministry also said it is following up on results that are still being withheld from candidates.
The meeting ended with an acknowledgement that examination malpractice in Nigeria goes beyond WAEC. According to the summary, schools, parents, students and even some officials within examination bodies are part of the problem. The Ministry called for support for any credible effort to dismantle the network behind malpractice.
Families who are still waiting for outstanding results, or hoping that remarking will improve their child’s scores, will have to wait a bit longer. For now, the Ministry’s direction is clear. Rather than pursue an immediate overhaul of WAEC, it plans to strengthen NECO as the main alternative. That approach may face resistance from parents who have, for years, regarded WAEC as the gold standard.