As from next year, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will require candidates to submit their National Identification Numbers (NIN) to register for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the regional examination body.
WAEC’s Head of National Office, Mr. Patrick Areghan, who said this at a media briefing yesterday in Lagos, explained that the decision was in line with the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It also announced that the WASSCE 2021 for school candidates will begin on Monday, August 16.
“As we continue to make progress in the conduct of the Council’s business in Nigeria, the NIN will become a major requirement for registration for the WASSCE with effect from the WASSCE for school candidates in 2022 and subsequent diets (No NIN, no entry!).
“This means that all prospective candidates must register with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and get their NIN. This is in line with the Federal Government’s policy, as directed by the Federal Ministry of Education,” Areghan said.
Giving details of the WASSCE 2020-2021 for school candidates, the spokesman said the examination would hold from August 16, 2021 to September 30, 2021 for 1,573,789 Senior Secondary (SS3) candidates.
He said the council experienced delays in starting the examination because of the impact of the COVID-19 on the 2020/2021 academic calendar as well as the failure of schools to register their SS3 candidates on time, in line with government’s policy of documenting the Continuous Assessment Scores (CAS) of school candidates. Usually, the WASSCE for school candidates begins in March/April and ends in May.
Of the 1,573,789 candidates from 19,425 recognised secondary schools across the country, 792,620 (50.36 per cent) are males; while 781,169 (49.64 per cent), are females.
Speaking on WAEC’s Chatbot, Areghan said candidates could make requests from the council online through its Request Management System and WAEC Chatbot.
The HNO explained that through the online platforms, candidates and others could process and track requests from the council – including requesting for certificates – without visiting WAEC offices physically.
He added that the WAEC Chatbot could interact with candidates on WhatsApp.