Online rumors regarding the cancellation of the 2025 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams have been refuted by the Ministry of Education. Sunday, July 20: The ministry called the statement “false and misleading” and asked the public to ignore it in a press release.
Online rumors had spread about a statement allegedly signed by “Dr. Aisha Lawal” and titled “urgent notice” from the federal ministry of education. The statement claimed that widespread examination malpractice, including extensive question leaks up to 72 hours prior to scheduled papers, had resulted in the nationwide cancellation of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The education ministry, however, rejected the report in a statement issued this evening, claiming that the 2025 WAEC exams were “successfully concluded” and that there had only been a few isolated instances of malpractice that were quickly resolved.
Additionally, it reported that as of the time of publication, there had been no reports of malpractice and that the current National Examinations Council (NECO) exams were proceeding without incident.
According to the statement, “The federal ministry of education has not received any official communication or report from WAEC, NECO, or any examination body regarding widespread malpractice in either of the examinations,”
The ministry said the fake press release was “entirely fabricated, misleading, and intended to cause unnecessary panic and confusion,” and it advised students, parents, school administrators, and the public to “disregard the fake press release currently in circulation.”
In addition to other credible media outlets, the public is advised to only seek information from vetted sources, such as the official websites of the federal ministry of education (www.education.gov.ng), WAEC (www.waecnigeria.org), and NECO (www.neco.gov.ng.
In addition to pledging to cooperate with examination bodies to improve oversight and enforcement, the ministry stated its commitment to maintaining the validity and integrity of all public exams. It issued a warning that anyone caught disseminating misleading information would be reported to security organizations for examination and possible legal action.
