Waec
Olamilekan Abayomi
Female candidates have outnumbered male candidates in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, according to the West African Examinations Council. The council’s Head of Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, announced the figures during a press briefing in Yaba, Lagos, noting that the trend reflects a steady rise in girls’ participation in secondary school exit exams across the country.
Out of 1,959,636 candidates registered from 24,207 schools, 1,001,072 are female, representing 51.08% of the total enrollment. Male candidates account for 958,564, or 48.92%. Dangut said the data shows both an increase in female participation and a decline in male enrollment compared to the previous year, continuing a pattern observed in recent exam cycles.
In 2025, female candidates made up 50.37% of the 1,973,253 total candidature, while males were 49.63%. This year’s wider margin suggests that more girls are completing secondary school and presenting themselves for the WASSCE, even as the overall number of candidates dropped slightly. The council did not give reasons for the drop in male registration but said the gender shift was clear in the final enrollment data.
The 2026 examination began on April 21 with practical papers and will conclude on June 19, spanning about eight weeks. Candidates are sitting for 37 subjects made up of 97 papers, with supervision handled by roughly 29,000 senior secondary school teachers nominated by state Ministries of Education. WAEC said arrangements were made to ensure coverage across all states and designated centers.
This year also marks a larger rollout of the Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates. After piloting the format in 40 schools in 2025, more institutions opted for the computer-based option in 2026, including some offshore schools using the Nigerian curriculum. Dangut said the expansion was driven by positive feedback from schools and students who took part in the initial phase, and that the system had been refined for better efficiency.
To address examination malpractice, WAEC introduced randomized question sequencing for the computer-based version, ensuring that no two candidates receive the same order of questions. The council said it was working with security agencies, the Federal Ministry of Education, and state governments to monitor centers and respond to threats of malpractice. Dangut warned that penalties would be applied to candidates, supervisors, and schools found culpable.
On logistics, WAEC said results would be released 45 days after the final paper, and printed certificates would be issued to schools within 90 days. Digital copies of certificates will also be accessible through the WAEC Digital Certificate platform, which the council has been promoting as a faster and more secure way for candidates to share their results with institutions and employers.
The gender breakdown in enrollment has drawn attention as an indicator of changing patterns in education access. Officials noted that more girls staying in school through senior secondary level could have long-term effects on higher education and workforce participation. WAEC said it would continue to monitor the data and work with stakeholders to ensure the examination remains credible, secure, and accessible to all registered candidates.
