The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for school candidates in Nigeria, revealing that 61.54 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the exam obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a 1.42 per cent decline compared to the 2025 performance, according to Dr Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC's Nigeria National Office, who announced the results on Wednesday at the council's headquarters in Yaba, Lagos.
Massive Candidature and Processing Status
A total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination, which took place from April 24 to June 19, 2026. Of these, 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the exam. Results for 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent of those who wrote the examination, were fully processed and made available. The remaining 116,031 candidates, about 5.95 per cent, had their results still being processed due to unresolved issues. Dangut expressed confidence that the council would conclude this work within a few days.
Gender Breakdown and Pass Rate
Among the 1,200,514 candidates who met the five-credit benchmark including English and Mathematics, 558,883 were male (28.65 per cent) and 641,631 were female (32.89 per cent). The overall pass rate of 61.54 per cent represents a decline of 1.42 per cent from the 2025 results. Candidates whose results were released and whose schools had no outstanding financial obligations can access their results on the WAEC portal within 12 hours of the announcement, with digital certificates available within 48 hours.
Withheld Results Over State Debts
WAEC confirmed that results for candidates sponsored by state governments that owe money to the council would remain unavailable until those debts are cleared. Dangut urged the affected state governments to settle their payments promptly to allow students access their results. He stated: "The results of candidates who are sponsored by states indebted to the Council will not be released now until payment is made. We appeal to the concerned to do so to enable the affected schools and candidates to access their results."
Malpractice Cases and Investigations
On examination malpractice, Dangut disclosed that the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of the total candidature, were withheld pending investigation into alleged infractions. The cases would be reviewed by the Nigeria Examinations Committee before any final action is taken. He added that security operatives working alongside the council apprehended some individuals involved in malpractice during the examination period. Supervisors and invigilators caught assisting candidates to cheat were also held accountable, with sanctions to be communicated through state Ministries of Education.
Female Students Lead in Previous Release
In a related development, WAEC had earlier released the results of its 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates, with female students pulling ahead of males in the combined credit pass rate for English Language and Mathematics. Dr Amos Dangut, who announced those results in Lagos on Wednesday, July 23, 2026, described the briefing as his third and final official engagement in that role.
