WAEC Urges Nigeria to Improve Teachers, School Facilities After Ghana Dominates WASSCE

The West African Examinations Council has called for urgent improvements in the quality of teachers and learning facilities across Nigerian schools following concerns over students’ performance in public examinations.

The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, made the appeal during a press briefing held at the council’s headquarters in Yaba, Lagos.

Dangut’s remarks came after Ghanaian students emerged as the best-performing candidates in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), raising concerns about the declining competitiveness of Nigerian students in regional examinations.

At the 74th Annual Council Meeting of WAEC held in March, three Ghanaian candidates — Huda Suleman, Paula Suwo, and Matthea Andoh — recorded the highest cumulative scores among more than 2.6 million candidates from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.

Reacting to the development, Dangut stressed the need for education stakeholders to critically examine the state of Nigeria’s educational infrastructure and teaching workforce.

He questioned whether schools across the country currently have enough qualified teachers, well-equipped laboratories, and conducive learning environments necessary to improve academic performance.

According to him, WAEC’s responsibility is to provide examination data and performance statistics, while policymakers and education planners are expected to use the information to develop reforms capable of improving student outcomes.

The WAEC official noted that improving education standards requires serious investment in both human and material resources within schools.

He explained that the availability of qualified teachers remains one of the most important factors influencing students’ academic performance, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related subjects.

Dangut also highlighted the importance of modern laboratories, adequate examination facilities, and improved school infrastructure in creating an environment that supports effective teaching and learning.

Despite the recent success recorded by Ghanaian candidates, he pointed out that Nigerian students had previously dominated the regional rankings in past years, adding that academic performance trends can change over time.

He described education as dynamic and stressed the importance of continuous reforms to help Nigeria regain its position among the top-performing countries in the region.

Data from the 2025 WASSCE showed that only 754,545 out of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the examination obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

The figure represents approximately 38.32 per cent of the total candidates who participated in the examination, a statistic that has continued to generate concerns among education experts and stakeholders.

Analysts believe the latest WAEC report may increase pressure on governments at both federal and state levels to invest more in teacher training, digital learning facilities, science laboratories, and educational infrastructure to improve students’ academic performance in Nigeria.