Mahama hails WAEC’s push for fair, transparent exams

 

…as WAEC holds 74th annual council meeting

 

In a region where examination credibility remains a critical issue, President John Mahama of the Republic of Ghana has hailed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for its ongoing reforms to enhance transparency and trust in the system.

In his keynote address, Mahama, who was represented by Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the vice president of the Republic of Ghana, congratulated WAEC on its 74th anniversary and stated that the government and people of Ghana are deeply honoured to host the annual meeting of the West African Examinations Council.

Besides, he commended the member governments of WAEC for their efforts to sustain the great institution and lend credibility to their assessment efforts.

The president commended the council for the innovative mechanisms it has put in place to maintain fairness, transparency, and integrity in its examination process.

Read also: WAEC releases 2026 CB-WASSCE, 32.72% passed including English, Maths

He, however, stressed that the surge in examination malpractice threatens to erode these enviable goals.

Moreover, he said that the plethora of fraudsters, all too ready to falsify results and alter certificates, threatens the very core of WAEC’s mandate.

“WAEC risks losing its credibility to these fraudsters if care is not taken, and this unfortunate development is not a challenge to be surmounted by the council alone but by everyone who has truth, honesty, and integrity as their core values to collectively defend the credibility of the council’s examinations by saying no to malpractice and yes to integrity,” he noted.

He further stated that his government will continue to collaborate with other member governments to provide the necessary support to build strong structures and enhance operational efficiency and sustainability.

Mahama also said that WAEC has been one of Africa’s most successful regional collaborations for over 70 years.

As an assessment body, the council has made significant strides in upholding educational standards through credible examinations.

At the formal opening of the meeting, WAEC honoured three Ghanaian candidates with the WAEC International Excellence Award for their outstanding performance in WASSCE for School Candidates, 2025.

They were Huda Suleman, first prize; Paula Suwo, second prize; and Matthea Andoh, third prize. The three candidates were selected from 2,612,830 who sat the examination in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

The Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the best candidate in West Africa, 2025, also went to Miss Huda Suleman.

Read also: WAEC releases 2025 private WASSCE results, over half of candidates secure credit pass

The prestigious award of distinguished friend of the council was conferred on William Asomaning, an eminent citizen of Ghana, for his immeasurable contributions to the achievement of the council’s objectives.

WAEC’s governing board holds its meeting yearly in rotation among the five member countries, namely: The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

The 73rd meeting was hosted in Monrovia in 2025 by the government of the Republic of Liberia, and, at the invitation of Nigeria’s delegation, the 75th edition will be hosted by the federal government of Nigeria in March 2027.

The meeting, which lasted for a week, was attended by delegates from all the member countries. They included government nominees, representatives of ministries/departments of education, universities, secondary schools, and other interest groups.

The meeting also  witnessed the 31st in the series of the council’s Annual Endowment Fund Lectures entitled, “Fostering Assessment Integrity within the Context of Credentialism”, delivered by George Oduro, the technical advisor to Ghanaian minister of education

In the course of the meeting, Council received reports on WAEC’s operations in the preceding year as well as information on educational programmes and developments in the five member countries.