By Ghazali Ibrahim
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has directed that every candidate registering for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates must provide a valid National Identification Number (NIN).
The directive was contained in a October 6, 2026 circular from WAEC’s Ibadan Zonal Office, addressed to school principals.
The decision followed a resolution of the Council’s National Staff Examinations Committee (NOSEC).
Under the new arrangement, a candidate’s 2027 WASSCE registration cannot be completed without a valid NIN.
WAEC has consequently advised schools to inform prospective candidates and encourage them to obtain their NIN before the registration exercise begins.
The development is particularly significant because school candidates normally have their WASSCE registration processed through their schools, rather than registering individually.
WAEC’s own guidance confirms that schools undertake the entry formalities for school candidates.
The NIN requirement is part of a wider push to strengthen candidate identification and tackle examination malpractice and impersonation.
The Federal Government had previously directed examination bodies to include NIN, candidates’ photographs and dates of birth as identifiers on examination certificates.
Meanwhile, this is not an entirely new concept for WAEC. NIN had previously been introduced as a requirement for WASSCE registration, including for the 2022 examination.
