Instances of technical glitches affecting the operations of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), have sparked growing concerns over the credibility and reliability of Nigeria’s standardised testing systems.
Stakeholders fear that these recurring issues may undermine public confidence in the fairness and accuracy of critical academic assessments.
2025 will go down in history as the year Nigeria’s two cardinal examination bodies, JAMB, and WAEC were hit by a massive crisis over what was described as glitches.
First, it was JAMB which had to repeat the examination for some pupils after results were released. On Monday, August 4, WAEC released the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) 2025 results, announcing that there was a mass failure in the English Language.
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In a twist of events, on Thursday, August 7, the council released a statement claiming that a glitch had occurred. This has left many stakeholders wondering what is the hope for the Nigerian education system?
Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), said the glitch bug surge is worrisome to the system, especially the recent WAEC saga.
Achebo emphasised that the WAEC glitch drama in Nigeria is causing major waves in the educational system and could impact the psyche of pupils, and the education system by raising credibility concerns, transition to CBT, and systemic issues, among others.
“The glitch and subsequent correction of results might raise questions about the credibility of WAEC and its examination processes,” he said.
Besides, he emphasised that the planned transition to full computer-based test (CBT) for external examinations such as WASSCE and NECO is being questioned by stakeholders such as the National Association of Parent-Teacher Associations of Nigeria, citing inadequate infrastructure and poor computer literacy among pupils.
“The mass failure in English Language has brought attention to systemic problems in Nigeria’s education sector, including insufficient investment in teacher training, poor infrastructure, and limited digital access in rural areas,” he noted.
Moreover, according to Achebo, the glitches bug surge would induce stress and anxiety on the psyche of pupils, psychological distress and give room for uncertainty and frustration, among other ill effects.
“The glitch and result corrections could cause unnecessary stress and anxiety for pupils awaiting their results and those whose futures depend on these exams.
“Pupils and parents are likely feeling uncertain and frustrated about the reliability of the exam results and the impact on future academic and career paths,” he said.
The university don emphasised that the evidence of this, is manifest in the National Association of Nigerian Students accusing WAEC of incompetence, saying the situation caused unnecessary psychological distress for candidates and parents.
Kelvin Bob-Manuel, marketing communications strategist at the West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE) said, the recent crises have rocked two of Nigeria’s most important examination bodies, JAMB and WAEC.
Though he commended the two bodies for taking accountability, which he said is rare in this part of the world, he reiterated that the situation leaves the country with more questions than answers.
Bob-Manuel expressed worries that Nigeria overlooked to such a critical part of education infrastructure. For him the way out of this quagmire is to first find people who are genuinely passionate about development, and have a proven track record of results.
Read also: WAEC temporarily withdraws 2025 WASSCE results over technical glitches
Then, the next step is to embrace technology, not just as a buzzword, but as a solution. Examination results should be processed and made available almost instantly, with secure systems to prevent errors. Transparency, he said, should be built into every stage of the process so that public confidence can be restored.
“This is not just about fixing “technical glitches.” It is about rebuilding trust in an institution that represents the hopes and futures of millions of young Nigerians. Anything less would be a disservice to them, and to the country’s future,” he said.
Meanwhile, WAEC has revealed that during its internal post-examination review of the released results WASSCE for School Candidates, (SC) 2025, some discrepancies were discovered in the grading of serialized papers.
And has consequently apologized to the general public and the affected candidates for the glitches and poor grading of the results, especially English Language and Mathematics.
“The council sincerely apologises for this imbroglio and deeply regrets the emotional and mental dismay it might have caused the affected candidates and all stakeholders.
“We have been able to fix the anomaly and candidates can now access their results on the portal (www.waecdirect.org). At this juncture, may I announce the accurate results obtained by candidates,” WAEC said in a statement.
