The Federal Government has firmly denied reports circulating online that the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations have been cancelled due to widespread malpractice.
The misleading report, styled as an “urgent notice” and dated July 19, 2025, falsely claimed that the Ministry of Education had scrapped the 2025 WASSCE due to extensive exam irregularities, including question leakages and the use of artificial intelligence to aid cheating. It further alleged that all papers written between May 6 and July 18 had been nullified, with a new timetable to be issued by August 5.
The fabricated document, allegedly signed by a certain Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Lawal, listed various unfounded claims, such as:
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Leaked question papers being circulated up to 72 hours in advance,
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Mass deployment of AI-generated answers and remote cheating devices,
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Involvement of compromised WAEC staff in illicit distribution of materials,
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Over 480 flagged centres engaged in coordinated cheating.
However, in an official press statement released on Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Education described the circulating notice as “false and misleading,” and urged students, parents, educators, and the general public to disregard it entirely.
“The 2025 WAEC examinations were successfully concluded, with only a few isolated incidents of malpractice, all of which were swiftly addressed by the appropriate authorities,” the statement read.
The Ministry also assured that the ongoing NECO examinations are proceeding smoothly, with no reports of large-scale malpractice as claimed in the viral document.
“There has been no official report from WAEC, NECO, or any examination body suggesting widespread misconduct in the conduct of the 2025 exams. The public is advised to rely only on verified information from the Ministry’s official channels and those of the examination bodies.”
It further warned that individuals responsible for spreading falsehoods would be investigated and held accountable under the law.
Similarly, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, Mrs. Moyosola Adesina, dismissed the report as entirely fictitious, calling it “a figment of the imagination of those peddling falsehood.”
“There is no truth whatsoever to the claims made in that fake statement. Marking of examination scripts is nearing completion, and results will be released to the public in due course,” she said.
Adesina reiterated WAEC’s commitment to integrity and transparency, assuring that an official statement would be issued later in the day to further clarify the matter.
“We urge the public to ignore any unofficial announcements and rely solely on credible sources. WAEC remains committed to delivering a fair and efficient examination process across West Africa,” she added.
