While millions of Nigerian students rushed online to check their 2025 WASSCE results on Monday, thousands were met with a harsh reality: no access to their results, either due to allegations of exam malpractice or unresolved financial obligations by their state governments.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) announced that the results of 192,089 candidates — representing 9.75% of those who sat the exam — have been withheld over reported cases of examination malpractice. These cases are currently under investigation and will be decided upon by the Council’s Nigeria Examinations Committee.
“This figure marks a 2.17% decrease from 2024, but it is still worrying,” said Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office. “Candidates involved will be informed of the outcome through their schools. They may also appeal their cases through the WAEC redress platform.”
In addition to those flagged for malpractice, candidates sponsored by state governments owing WAEC will also not be able to view their results until the debts are cleared.
“I need not restate the fact that the results of candidates who are sponsored by States indebted to the Council will not be released now until payment is made,” Dr. Dangut confirmed, urging the defaulting states to “do the needful.”
This double blow leaves a significant number of candidates — many of whom have already applied for admission or scholarships — stranded just as results become crucial for post-secondary opportunities.
Overall, the 2025 performance marks a worrying decline. Only 38.32% of candidates who sat the examination obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics — the benchmark for university admission in Nigeria. This represents a significant 33.8% drop from the 57.88% recorded in 2024. WAEC described the development as a wake-up call and urged all stakeholders to re-evaluate strategies for supporting learning outcomes across the country.
A total of 1,883,973 candidates from 20,222 schools registered for the examination, with 1,876,571 candidates eventually sitting for it between April 30 and June 24, 2025, across 13,396 centres nationwide.
Meanwhile, candidates whose results were released have been advised to check theirs at www.waecdirect.org, using their smart identity card credentials. Digital certificates will be available 48 hours later, and printed certificates will be ready within 90 days.
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