Ghanaian students have swept the top three positions in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, with Miss Huda Suleman emerging as the overall best candidate among 2,612,830 students from five West African countries.
The results were announced at WAEC's 74th Annual Council Meeting, held from 24 to 28 March 2026 at the International Conference Centre in Accra. Suleman claimed first place and also received the prestigious Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for Best Candidate in West Africa 2025. She was followed by Miss Paula Suwo in second place and Miss Matthea Aba Andoh in third, completing a clean sweep for Ghana across all three top positions.
The meeting was declared open by Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, represented by Vice President Jane Opoku Agyemang. In his keynote address, Mahama congratulated WAEC on 74 years of service but also sounded a warning on examination malpractice. "The surge in examination malpractice threatens to erode these enviable goals. The plethora of fraudsters, all too ready to falsify results and alter certificates, threatens the very core of WAEC's mandate," he said, calling on all stakeholders to collectively defend the council's credibility.
Ghana's Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, represented by Deputy Minister Dr Clement Apaak, announced Ghana's reinstatement in the international version of WASSCE beginning with the 2026 diet. The meeting also saw Ghana's Chief Government Nominee, Professor Ernest Davis, elected as Vice Chairman of the Council for a one year term, succeeding Amos Fully of Liberia.
Professor William Asomaning of Ghana was recognised as a Distinguished Friend of Council for his contributions to the organisation, while the 31st Annual Endowment Fund Lecture, titled "Fostering Assessment Integrity within the Context of Credentialism," was delivered by Professor George K.T. Oduro.
Nigeria will host the 75th WAEC Annual Council Meeting in March 2027, following Ghana's hosting of the current edition.
For Nigerian students and education stakeholders, Ghana's dominance of the top positions in the 2025 results is a performance benchmark that sits alongside the growing regional conversation about examination integrity and what it will take for West African nations to produce students who lead rather than follow in continental academic outcomes.
