A member of the House of Representatives, Chinedu Ogah, has warned that thousands of Nigerian youths may miss out on university admission this year due to the continued withholding of results by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Ogah, who represents Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, said in a statement that nearly 80 per cent of candidates who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) risk losing their chances since their English Language and Mathematics results remain pending.
He accused WAEC of frustrating the dreams of young Nigerians and breaching its statutory mandate by indefinitely withholding results over alleged malpractice without presenting immediate proof.
The lawmaker had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to WAEC to release the results of 192,089 candidates or face legal action.
“Putting results on hold up to now is unconstitutional and killing the hopes of our young people,” Ogah stressed, citing the WAEC Act which empowers the body only to conduct and release examinations in the public interest.
Meanwhile, the National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced it will phase out the paper-and-pencil format, beginning with the November/December 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External.
All exams will now be conducted through Computer-Based Testing (CBT).
According to NECO, only certified CBT centres meeting strict standards will be approved.
Each centre must provide at least 150 functional computer systems with backups, reliable servers, air-conditioned halls, CCTV surveillance, and stable internet connectivity.
The council also emphasised that only dedicated CBT centres—not makeshift facilities—will be accepted.
NECO assured that the move would strengthen transparency and integrity in Nigeria’s examination process, with only vetted personnel of proven integrity allowed to handle the CBT system.