No breaches occurred in the 2026 WASSCE, according to WAEC, despite encountering some setbacks.

Amos Dangut, the Head of the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council, stated on Thursday that there was no leakage of question papers in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, despite various hitches that occurred during the exam in parts of the country.

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Candidates taking Mathematics and Agricultural Science papers in several states were forced to sit their exams late into the evening due to delays in the delivery of question papers and answer booklets, which WAEC attributed to logistical and operational challenges following a fatal road accident on the Gombe-Yola highway that claimed the lives of three of its officials.

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Dangut made these comments during a visit by the national leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, led by Secretary General Oladimeji Uthman, to the council's headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, on Thursday.

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He emphasized that despite the security, logistics, and other operational challenges experienced during the examination, the integrity of the exercise was not compromised, thanks to innovations introduced by WAEC, including enhanced cyber monitoring, which significantly reduced examination malpractice and prevented question papers from leaking online.

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Dangut noted that the rate of examination malpractice had diminished greatly, and the extent and nature of examination papers being shared online were greatly reduced, with the council's cyber monitoring team and stakeholders confirming that there was no leakage in this examination.

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He explained that any glitches observed in a few states were addressed through the council's system, which can detect and correct issues, ensuring that there would be no effect on the performance of the candidates.

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Dangut attributed some of the logistical challenges to the late conclusion of candidates' registration, which followed adjustments to the national curriculum, with registration closing in April after the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Education, leaving little time for printing and other preparatory activities.

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He stated that registration for the 2027 school candidates' examination would commence in September and close in December 2026 to prevent a recurrence of the challenges faced this year.

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Dangut reiterated the council's commitment to expanding Computer-Based WASSCE, describing it as the long-term solution to examination malpractice and question paper leakage, as it ensures that question papers are released at the right time without the need for transportation to examination centres.

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He explained that question papers are most vulnerable after being handed over to supervisors for distribution to distant examination centres, but computer-based testing eliminates this risk.

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WAEC now operates a cyber monitoring centre capable of detecting examination malpractice in real-time, allowing the council to address issues immediately.

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Dangut described attempts to discredit the council's handling of the examination as unfortunate, saying critics were "playing politics with realities" and that the council had risen to meet the challenges in conducting the examination.

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The 2026 WASSCE results would be released on August 3, and Dangut urged stakeholders indebted to the council to settle outstanding examination fees within 10 days to avoid delays in processing affected candidates' results.

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Dangut acknowledged that the council was still grieving the loss of some officials who died while on examination duty, describing the incident as traumatic for the organisation and its workforce.

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Earlier, NANS Secretary General Oladimeji Uthman lauded WAEC for its ability to carry on with the conduct of the examination after the incident of the loss of its officials in an accident.

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Oladimeji praised the WAEC leadership in areas including ensuring the release of results 45 days after the conclusion of the examination, commitment to the conduct of Computer-Based WASSCE, technology-driven innovations, staff welfare, training, and cost-cutting measures in the council.

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The NANS also noted that Dangut was set to assume office as Registrar, WAEC.

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Minister of Education Tunji Alausa stated that the Federal Government had eliminated the leakage of examination questions in the WASSCE and the National Examinations Council examinations, thanks to reforms in the education sector.

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Alausa said the government had significantly reduced examination malpractice through the adoption of computer-based testing and a hybrid examination system, which were introduced to restore the credibility and integrity of public examinations in the country.

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He recalled how examination question leakages were a recurring problem, saying he frequently received alerts about compromised WAEC papers before the examinations were conducted, but attributed the progress to aggressive interventions by the Federal Government aimed at safeguarding the sanctity of public examinations.