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WAEC Raises Alarm Over Massive Failure In 2025 Exams
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed deep concern over the sharp decline in the performance of candidates who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), describing it as the worst recorded in the last five years.
According to the results released on Monday, only 38.32% of the 1,969,313 candidates who took part in the exam obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics a drastic fall from the 72.12% recorded in 2024.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, the Head of Nigeria’s Office of WAEC, Amos Dangut, revealed that several new examination reforms introduced to combat malpractice may have contributed to the poor performance.
READ MORE: JUST IN: WAEC Announces Release Of 2025 WASSCE Results
“Under this approach, each candidate was assigned a specific paper type, making collusion and other forms of examination malpractice extremely difficult to perpetrate,” Dangut said, referring to the serialisation method used in objective questions.
“Despite sternly advising candidates to work independently, we still recorded cases of candidates assigned different question papers who copied one another and had the same answers in virtually all questions. The effect of this activity was evident in the overall performance of candidates in the said papers,” he added.
WAEC introduced the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format in some schools for the first time, while others retained the traditional paper-based format. Dangut explained that the objective papers recorded a noticeable decline, though essay papers performed at levels similar to previous years.
In addition to the dismal performance, the exam body withheld the results of 192,089 candidates, representing 9.75% of the total, due to reported cases of malpractice a slight drop from 11.92% recorded last year.
A total of 1,973,365 candidates registered for the examination across 23,554 secondary schools, with 1,969,313 eventually sitting for the exams in Nigeria, as well as in affiliated schools in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea.
Dangut also noted that 12,178 special-needs candidates were accommodated during the examination, including those who were visually and hearing-impaired, mentally challenged, and physically disabled.
On the processing of results, he stated that 77.06% of the candidates have had their full results released, while 22.94% have pending results due to technical or data issues, which WAEC is working to resolve.
Experts React to Poor Performance
Reacting to the development, former Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Lagos, Prof. Monday Ubamgha, attributed the decline to poor teacher quality and student distractions.
“No educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers. Teachers are not motivated and most of them see teaching as a part-time hustle. They engage in other things. The academic preparation before entering class is lacking,” Ubamgha said.
He blamed excessive social media use for students’ declining reading habits: “Instead of students taking advantage of new innovations to enhance learning, they spend most of their time on Facebook and Instagram.”
Educationist Dr. Nelson Ayodele also criticized the sudden implementation of CBT, especially in rural schools.
“The renewed effort of the examination bodies to curb malpractice and a change in examination procedures caught many schools unawares. They found it difficult to circumvent the new procedures as they were used to doing in the past,” Ayodele said.
He added that a lack of digital literacy and poor classroom management contributed to the outcome. “Students are now inundated with media and technological distractions to the extent that focus on their studies now plays a second fiddle.”
Calls for Urgent Reform
Counselor Nike Ogunjobi added that a poor reading culture, low teacher morale, and absence of parental supervision are worsening the academic situation.
“Most of the teachers go into this profession because they did not get any other job. They took up the job just for survival, not because they want to add value,” she said.
She called for renewed focus by both students and educators: “The students have to get their priorities right by focusing on their studies. Teachers should know they are not just teaching they are nurturing future leaders.”
Education stakeholders are now calling for the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, and school proprietors to address the root causes of poor academic outcomes ahead of the next WASSCE cycle.
The South-West Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Adegoke Fayoade, has reassured Nigerians that the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State will soon regain their freedom as security agencies intensify rescue operations.
Speaking during an official working visit to the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja on Monday, Fayoade expressed confidence that ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies and government authorities would yield positive results in the shortest possible time.
According to him, all available resources are being deployed to secure the safe release of the victims, while security operatives remain focused on rescue efforts rather than engaging in discussions about ransom demands.
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“All agencies, including government authorities, are working tirelessly. I can assure Nigerians that within the shortest possible time, the children and their teachers will be free,” the DIG stated.
Fayoade dismissed reports suggesting that the abductors had altered their demands, insisting that the police were unaware of any negotiations involving ransom payments or the release of suspected accomplices.
“We do not discuss ransom. Our priority is ensuring the safe rescue of those in captivity,” he said.
The senior police officer explained that his visit to Lagos was part of a broader strategy to strengthen supervision across police commands in the South-West and engage officers on effective approaches to tackling emerging security threats.
He disclosed that discussions with officers centered on manpower development, welfare improvement, and operational efficiency.
Fayoade noted that the ongoing recruitment of 40,000 police personnel would help address manpower shortages across the country, while improved welfare packages would boost officers’ morale and effectiveness.
The DIG also highlighted the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to adopting modern technology in crime fighting.
He revealed that efforts were underway to complete a central data centre that would enable security agencies to share intelligence and improve crime detection nationwide.
He added that the force was preparing to introduce artificial intelligence into criminal investigations and intelligence gathering to enhance policing and improve response times.
“Technology remains a major priority. Very soon, our officers will begin specialized training on the use of artificial intelligence in investigations and intelligence operations,” he said.
Fayoade further urged members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, stressing that effective policing requires mutual trust and respect between officers and citizens.
The assurance comes amid growing concern from parents and residents over the fate of the abducted pupils and teachers, with many hoping for a swift and safe resolution to the incident.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday after less than two years in office, in a term characterised by policy U-turns and deep public unpopularity.
“Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party,” Starmer said as he choked up in an emotional speech outside 10 Downing Street.
Starmer said the process of picking a new leader for the centre-left party would be launched in July, and he would remain as prime minister until his successor is chosen, to be in place before parliament returns from the summer recess in September.
Starmer’s main rival, veteran politician Andy Burnham, is due to be sworn in as a member of parliament on Monday after winning a crucial special election on Thursday, allowing him to return to parliament and clearing his path to run for party leader.
“I will remain in post as prime minister until the contest is complete, and I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power,” Starmer added.
Until the weekend, Starmer had insisted he was going to fight on and remain as prime minister as he fought off challenges and calls to step down.
He has clung to that position for months after multiple scandals and high-profile resignations that piled the pressure on him and his Labour Party.
But Britain is now set to get its seventh prime minister in a decade.
Starmer’s widely anticipated announcement comes a day before the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which triggered the UK’s exit from the European Union and an unprecedented churn of prime ministers.
Starmer has been credited with reshaping Labour into an election-winning party, which clinched a decisive victory in 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
But his term was derailed by missteps ranging from benefit cuts to criticism over defence spending plans.
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He was nearly ousted in March over his ill-fated decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a known associate of the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.
He has also struggled to fight off the rapid rise of the far-right, anti-immigration Reform UK party — which defeated Labour in local elections in May, further weakening Starmer’s position.
“I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago,” Starmer said in his resignation speech.
Courtesy – AFP
Gunmen have killed a former staff member of Ogun State Television, Mrs. Kitan Oyesiku, popularly known as “Aunty Kitan,” alongside her security guard in a violent early morning attack in Agodo community along the Abeokuta–Siun–Sagamu Expressway in Ogun State.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, threw residents of the area into panic and mourning as news of the killings spread across the community.
The victims were reportedly attacked inside their residence by unknown armed men who stormed the compound and carried out the operation before fleeing the scene.
SEE MORE: Midnight Horror in Kaduna: Gunmen Kill Nine, Injure 11 in Fresh Community Attack
The security guard on duty was also killed during the invasion.
The attack took place within the Abeokuta axis of Abeokuta, raising fresh concerns over insecurity in parts of the state.
The bodies of the deceased have since been deposited at the morgue of the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta.
As of press time, the motive behind the attack remains unclear, while security agencies are expected to launch a full-scale investigation into the incident.
An anonymous source who spoke on the development said the incident was discovered after concerned church members went to check on the deceased when she failed to appear at church service.
The source said: “They had come around to check on Mrs Oyesiku when they did not see her in the church. On getting to her residence, they found out that the security officer had been killed, and they later also saw that the assailants had also killed Mrs Oyesiku. That was how they raised the alarm in the community.”
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident and said an official statement would be issued after preliminary investigations.
Mrs. Oyesiku, a former broadcaster with the state-owned television station, was well known in media circles before her retirement.
Her death has sparked grief among colleagues, friends, and residents across Ogun State, as calls mount for improved security in the area.
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