THE Principal of Babcock School, Remo, Ogun State, Fatola Samson, has described the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results as the worst recorded by the school in its 31 years of existence.
Samson disclosed this during a virtual dialogue organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) with the theme, “Addressing Concerns Over 2026 WASSCE Results, Other Matters”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the principal said 190 students from the school sat for the examination, but only 27 achieved satisfactory results, while several candidates failed subjects including Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
Samson was among the stakeholders at the meeting who called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which conducts WASSCE, to review the results, particularly those of candidates whose performances were inconsistent with their previous academic records.
The stakeholders raised concerns over low grades recorded by 2026 WASSCE candidates particularly in English Language and Mathematics.
The ICIR recently reported a WAEC official, Olanrewaju Fadehan, alleging that technical problems and last-minute adjustments affected some 2026 WASSCE candidates who sat the computer-based version of the examination.
Fadehan, who was identified as the Head of Examinations at WAEC’s office covering Anambra State, made the allegations in a viral video, noting that the problems were noticeable when the organisation was about to release the results. The results were initially scheduled to be announced between August 3 and 5, 2026.
“Obviously, there was a problem because the press was eagerly waiting on Monday, the scheduled date. There was a need to quickly do some last-minute adjustments. Something was wrong,” he said.
According to him, candidates who took the computer-based examination were particularly affected, with Mathematics, English Language and Igbo among the subjects he identified.
The claims came barely three weeks after WAEC released the results of the 2026 WASSCE for school candidates and amid continuing calls from parents, schools and education stakeholders for greater transparency over the examination’s marking and results-processing system of the 1.95 million candidates that sat for the examination.
The ICIR reported that WAEC released the 2026 school candidates’ results on August 5.
The examination body said 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination, while 1,950,726 eventually sat for it.
Of those who sat the examination, 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent, obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The figure represented a decline from the 62.96 per cent recorded in 2025, when 1,239,884 candidates met the same benchmark.
WAEC also said 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, obtained credits in at least five subjects, irrespective of whether English Language and Mathematics were included.
But the examination body disclosed at the time of the results release that not all candidates’ results had been processed.
According to WAEC, 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent of those who sat the examination, had their results processed and released, while the results of another 116,031 candidates, representing 5.95 per cent, were still being processed because of issues the council said it was working to resolve.
The council separately withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, or 8.59 per cent, over alleged examination malpractice.
It attributed many of the malpractice cases to the use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools.
WAEC dismisses concerns over 2026 WASSCE
Meanwhile, the Head of Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Amos Dangut, a doctorate holder, has dismissed concerns that technical glitches affected the examination.
Dangut said the council’s marking, processing and moderation procedures remained credible, urging stakeholders with concerns over the results to seek clarification directly from WAEC.
He stated these while addressing stakeholders during the EWAN virtual meeting.
Dangut urged stakeholders to disregard what he described as unverified claims circulating on social media and approach the council for clarifications on issues concerning WASSCE candidates’ results.
He said WAEC introduced major innovations into the conduct of the examination, including computer-based assessment and randomisation and serialisation of questions, to strengthen the integrity of WASSCE.
According to him, the transition to technology-driven assessment had contributed to reduction in examination malpractice and improved the credibility of the examination.
“The reforms introduced by WAEC have strengthened the examination process, reduced opportunities for malpractice and enhanced the credibility, transparency and integrity of WASSCE results,” he said.
He disclosed that examination malpractice dropped from 9.97 per cent in 2025 to 8.59 per cent in 2026, describing the reduction as a positive outcome of the reforms.
“The reduction in examination malpractice should be viewed as one of the positive outcomes of reforms introduced by WAEC to strengthen the credibility and integrity of WASSCE.”
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org