More than 1.2 million Nigerian students who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) failed to pass English Language and Mathematics, raising fresh concerns over the state of secondary education in the country.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) revealed the disturbing figures on Monday, August 4, 2025, as part of the official announcement of the 2025 WASSCE results. The disclosure was made by Amos Dangut, Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC.
According to the statement, a total of 1,969,313 candidates participated in the exam, which was conducted between April and June 2025. This figure represents those who took the test out of the 1,973,365 registered candidates from 23,554 secondary schools across Nigeria.
The exam was also administered in WAEC-accredited Nigerian curriculum schools located in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea.
Shocking Decline in Performance
Dangut disclosed that only 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32%, obtained credit and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, the minimum benchmark for admission into Nigerian universities.
This means 1,218,820 students, or over 61%, failed to meet the basic qualification criteria, marking a dramatic 33.8% drop in performance compared to the 72.12% pass rate recorded in the 2024 WASSCE.
“Today, I am happy to announce to you that all the processes leading to the release of the results have been concluded,” Dangut said during the briefing.
“The overall performance in the two key subjects is a matter of concern that stakeholders must urgently address.”
Gender Breakdown and Special Needs
Out of the total candidates who sat the exams:
- 976,787 were male (49.60%)
- 992,526 were female (50.40%)
The examination also included 12,178 candidates with special needs, of which:
- 112 were visually impaired
- 615 had hearing difficulties
- 52 had mental health conditions
- 37 were physically challenged
WAEC said adequate provisions were made to accommodate their needs, and their results have been fully processed and released.
Pending Results and Ongoing Resolution
WAEC further announced that results for 1,517,517 candidates (77.06%) were fully processed and released without issue. However, 451,796 candidates (22.94%) have one or more of their subject results pending due to errors or unresolved issues encountered during the exam or result processing phase.
The Council assured candidates that it is actively working to resolve the outstanding issues and that the withheld results will be released in due course.
Educational Implications
The sharp decline in pass rates for English and Mathematics has sparked concerns among educators, parents, and policymakers, with many calling for urgent reforms in teaching quality, curriculum delivery, and school infrastructure.
Experts argue that poor foundational education, inadequate teacher training, and inconsistent learning environments—especially in rural areas—may have contributed to the dismal performance.
As WAEC finalises the remaining results, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how authorities respond to what is now seen as one of the most alarming WASSCE outcomes in recent history.
