The West African Examinations Council has ruled out any leakage of question papers during the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, insisting that operational hitches recorded in some states did not compromise the integrity of the exercise. Head of the Council's Nigeria National Office, Amos Dangut, gave this assurance on Thursday while receiving a delegation from the National Association of Nigerian Students at the Council's Yaba, Lagos headquarters, led by Secretary General Oladimeji Uthman.

Dangut disclosed that enhanced cyber monitoring had significantly reduced malpractice and blocked question papers from circulating online. "This year, I want to make it clear and loud that the rate of examination malpractice has diminished greatly. As far as our cyber monitoring team was there and the comments and testimonies we received from stakeholders outside WAEC, there was no leakage in this examination," he stated.

Candidates writing Mathematics and Agricultural Science in several states had sat late into the evening after delays in delivering question papers and answer booklets, a situation the Council linked to a fatal crash on the Gombe Yola highway that killed three of its officials. Dangut explained that the late conclusion of registration, following Federal Ministry of Education curriculum adjustments, left insufficient time for printing. "Registration was concluded in April. From April to when examinations started in May, how can we do magic?" he remarked, adding that registration for 2027 candidates would run from September to December 2026 to avert a repeat.

He reaffirmed commitment to expanding Computer Based WASSCE as a lasting fix, noting that digital delivery removes the risks tied to transporting papers to distant centres. Dangut further revealed that a real time cyber monitoring centre now flags malpractice as it happens. He dismissed criticism of the Council's handling of the crisis as misguided, and confirmed results would be published on August 3, urging indebted stakeholders to clear outstanding fees within 10 days.

Uthman commended the Council's resilience following the officials' deaths, citing its 45 day results turnaround, staff welfare initiatives, and technology driven reforms, and noted that Dangut is set to become Registrar of WAEC.

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa separately maintained that examination leakages across WAEC and the National Examinations Council have been eliminated through computer based testing and a hybrid examination system introduced to restore public confidence.