Anxiety is mounting among thousands of candidates who sat for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) following the delay in the release of the results, despite an earlier assurance by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) that they would be published 45 days after the last paper.
Ahead of the examination, the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, had announced at a press briefing in Lagos that the council would release the results within 45 days of the conclusion of the examination.
“Results will be released 45 days after the last paper, while certificates will be printed and issued to schools within 90 days. Digital copies of certificates will also be available via the WAEC Digital Certificate platform,” Dangut had said.
However, more than 45 days after the examination ended, candidates are still awaiting the release of their results, a development that has heightened uncertainty among students seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
The delay is particularly worrying for university aspirants, who account for an estimated 70 per cent of candidates that sat for the examination.
Many had already secured competitive scores in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and are waiting for their WASSCE results to complete the admission requirements of their preferred institutions.
The situation has become more critical as some universities across the country have commenced admission processes, leaving many candidates uncertain about whether they will be able to meet documentation deadlines.
Some candidates who spoke with our correspondent expressed disappointment over the delay, saying they had expected the results to be released in line with WAEC’s earlier commitment.
“I’ve been checking the portal every day because my school has started its admission process. We were assured that the results would be ready after 45 days, so the delay is making many of us anxious,” one candidate said.
Parents have also appealed to WAEC to expedite action on the release of the results or, at the very least, provide an official update explaining the reason for the delay.
Education stakeholders noted that while maintaining the credibility and integrity of the examination process remains paramount, timely communication with candidates is equally important to prevent uncertainty and ease growing anxiety.
They urged the examination body to clarify the status of the results and announce a definite release date to enable candidates proceed with their admission processes without further delay.
As concern continues to grow among candidates, parents and school authorities, many are hopeful that WAEC will soon release the results and restore confidence in the admission timetable for the 2026/2027 academic session.
