The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of candidates sponsored by state governments that are yet to settle outstanding registration fees, leaving thousands of students unable to access their 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
The examination body announced on Wednesday that while the 2026 WASSCE results had been released nationwide, candidates from indebted states would not be able to check their results until the affected state governments clear their financial obligations to the council.
WAEC said the decision was necessary to enforce compliance with its payment policy, stressing that the restriction applies only to candidates sponsored by defaulting state governments and not to privately funded candidates.
The council urged the affected states to settle their outstanding debts without delay to prevent further disruption to the academic and admission plans of the affected students.
The development comes as WAEC also disclosed that it withheld the results of 167,486 candidates over alleged examination malpractice, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat for the 2026 examination. According to the council, the affected cases are under investigation and will be reviewed in line with its established procedures.
The latest action has heightened concerns among students, parents and education stakeholders, many of whom fear that delays in releasing the affected results could complicate admissions into tertiary institutions and other post-secondary opportunities.
