TD An Education Advocate, Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare, has formally petitioned the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), raising alarm over repeated glitches in student assessments and recruitment processes.
The petition was copied to Nigeria’s President, Senate President, Education Minister, and WAEC’s National Committee chair, with a direct escalation to WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut.
Onyia described the issue as a national imperative.
He stressed that the credibility of Nigeria’s education system and the future of millions of students are at stake.
Legal Petition Filed Against WAEC
The petition, prepared by F.K. Nnadi & Co. on behalf of the Initiative for School Excellence and Education Foundation (ISEE Foundation), calls for urgent ministerial intervention on WAEC.
It specifically requests:
- Preservation of electronic records from the 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE.
- Independent technical and data-integrity verification of disputed results.
- Transparency in handling technical interruptions and anomalies.
The lawyers argue that the Federal Ministry of Education has both the competence and responsibility to intervene, despite WAEC’s regional character.
Key Concerns Raised
The petition highlights:
- Anomalous WAEC results disproportionately affecting candidates in Lagos and Ogun.
- Technical interruptions during computer-based exams.
- Lack of adequate mechanisms to verify whether results faithfully represent student performance.
The document stressed that conventional re-marking is inadequate when errors stem from technological capture or processing.
It urged digital forensics and independent audits.
Calls for Oversight and Accountability on WAEC
The petition urges the Ministry to:
- Convene WAEC, government agencies, and independent experts for urgent review.
- Ensure preservation of candidate-response data, audit trails, and technical logs.
- Facilitate corrective action where material errors are verified.
- Recommend policy reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s examination standards.
As the petition notes:
“If objective verification establishes that the system operated correctly, WAEC and the examination will be vindicated.
“If it establishes a material defect, genuinely affected candidates should receive timely correction.”
Broader Advocacy
Onyia emphasized that restoring trust in WAEC and Nigeria’s education system is not optional:
“If we cannot protect the integrity of our assessments, we cannot protect the value of our certificates.
“Restoring trust, fairness, and integrity to educational assessment in Nigeria is a national imperative.”
Groups such as the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) have also voiced support, calling for stronger oversight and reforms, including bolstering NECO’s role.
Implications for WAEC
The petition underscores growing concerns about Nigeria’s reliance on computer-based testing and the need for robust safeguards.
With millions of students depending on WAEC results for university admission and scholarships, the outcome of this petition could shape the future of educational assessment across West Africa.
