Reactions As WAEC Records Worst Results In 5 Years

Posted by African Examiner Exclusive Reports, Exclusive/Investigative Stories, Featured, Latest Headlines Wednesday, August 6th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigerians on social media are frowning at the poor performance of students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The African Examiner recalled that the results released yesterday showed that out of the 1,969,313 candidates who wrote the examination, only 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32 per cent, got credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

It is worth mentioning that this year’s exam, some schools chose the Computer-Based Test method while others made use of the Paper-Based Test method.

The Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO) of WAEC, Amos Dangut, who announced the release of the results in a media briefing at the examination body’s headquarters in Lagos, disclosed that this year’s results showed a 33.8 per cent decrease in performance compared to 72.12 per cent recorded in 2024.

This development sparked reactions as some netizens took to X, formerly known as Twitter, as many were of the view that the Nigerian government should prioritise the National Examination Council (NECO) over WAEC, as WAEC is a foreign examination body.
The African Examiner gathers some of their thoughts below:

@okeyezealah writes: “I have continued to say it. The Nigerian national examination body’s examination, in this instance, NECO, should be compulsory for all SS3 students as the school certificate examination. WAEC, which is subregional, should be optional.”

@orjaiski writes: “My son that just finished WAEC and NECO complained of how poorly organized NECO was. NECO need to step up if they want to replace WAEC or compete at WAEC level. This is the same for NECO BECE, and the state conducted junior exams. BECE is dar better organized.”

@DanBigger_1 writes: “Stop pushing for disaster! When it happens, nothing will be left. WAEC in it’s lowest times is better than all the examination bodies of it’s equal in Nigeria combined together. WAEC is only foreign in name, everything else local.”

@petbell writes: “There is gross malpractice going on in about 80% of schools. If scripts were to be marked strictly on marking schemes and instructions, many more failures would be seen. Imagine a centre writing the same thing letter for letter.”

@SolaSro writes: “It’s unfortunate that the technology is being used to move Nigeria backwards when other nations are moving forward, neco was created without proper addressing the fundamentals problems affecting educational development. What a country.”

@OMEZUOUWA writes: “I’m this one, I choose the side of WAEC. If you know what happened in those exams, you’ll not blame WAEC. How can exam questions occupy SM spaces 48 hrs before the date of writing it? There are WhatsApp platforms where the questions,REAL, are shared daily. That’s mindboggling.”

@Petrs writes: “NECO was a bold move to reclaim educational sovereignty, yet WAEC still holds disproportionate power over 9ja students’ futures Why should a foreign-led body dictate success in our own country? It’s time for reform, accountability, and a system that puts 9ja first.”

@benhenry01 writes: “Both WAEC and NECO have lost their credibility. The best is to set up a new examining body that is as strict with examination malpractice as JAMB but more efficient in their system and modalities.”

@prosperstouch writes: “I thought Nigeria’s INEC-select president is now the ECOWAS chair and would deploy one of the ideas he shared with Toyin Abraham to immediately reform the region’s education system starting from WAEC?”

@mba_chiemeka writes: “NECO is not living upto expectations, we are yet to get the hardcopy certificate of the External Neco exam written in Dec 2024.”

@glo4reel writes: “Parents undermine neco and nabteb exams. I feel so happy that things are going south for dem rn. I’m a tutor. I av done sensitisation on these exams severally, but parents and students wudn’t listen. NABTEB and NECO are enough!”

@ac_avengers writes: “@waecnigeria you people have to answer to our query.”

@vdmempire come and save us from this issue With student writing exam late in the night. Out of 1.9 students 1.2 fail English only. Education is becoming a game in Nigeria @vdmempire help us out.”

@NwabuezeNw0411 writes: The real question is, 26 years later, why haven’t NECO stepped up to actually provide that much needed (and internationally recognized) alternative to WAEC? Competition is the only way to break up a monopolistic situation, hence the creation of NECO. What has neco been doing?”

@kinpelG writes: “UTME should be abolished, WAEC should be abolished… so what exactly should not be abolished according to you? This one is not good, that one is not good. So which one would be good enough?”

@itsayodeji_ writes: “Everybody is just talking about NECO, like it’s better. NECO that’s poorly organized, see plenty talk no dey full basket, none is better between Waec and Neco not even Jamb, at least we saw their nonsense this year. The only solution is educational reforms for a better system.”

@life_death_soon writes: “Alot of flaws has happened in Nigeria education system that should’ve pushed the minister for education out of his position but the APC government always put the Mediocre in positions so it will be easy to control them.”

@ireptheComforta writes: “NECO has zero standard Obansajo didn’t plan NECO well and it’s unacceptable outside the country. WAEC should try as much as possible to find a way to rectify any fault that came from them.”