By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Students seating for examination |
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied issuing any directive that restricts subject choices for students preparing for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The examination body, in a statement released on Tuesday, labeled the viral social media reports as "unfounded assumptions" and urged schools and the public to disregard them entirely.
The statement, issued by the acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adeshina, on behalf of the Head of National Office, sought to clear the air amid growing confusion. It clarified that the Council is not the source of such directives and remains focused on its assessment role.
WAEC's statement was unequivocal in its denial. “The Council wishes to categorically distance itself from this unfounded assumption and the information making the rounds on the said subject,” the announcement read.
It further clarified, “The Council did not issue any such directive(s) nor restrict the choice of students to offer any particular subject(s) for WASSCE (SC) 2026 as alleged.”
Emphasizing its specific mandate, WAEC explained that it does not create or modify the senior secondary school curriculum. That responsibility, it noted, rests solely with the Federal Government through its relevant education authorities.
“The development and regulation of Curricula in Nigeria is within the purview of the Federal Government. WAEC, as an examination body, only comes in to implement government policies via assessment,” the Council stated.
The statement reassured all stakeholders that any future changes to the educational curriculum would be communicated through official channels after due process, and not introduced arbitrarily via social media rumors.
Concluding its clarification, WAEC advised schools, parents, and students to depend only on its official communications for accurate information regarding the 2026 WASSCE.
“Schools, stakeholders, and the general public are hereby advised to disregard the misleading reports and rely solely on official communications from the Council for accurate information regarding examination guidelines for WASSCE (SC) 2026,” the statement concluded.