The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) International has said a total of 2,276,112 candidates sat its 2022 May/June Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) across its five member countries, namely: Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia and Nigeria.
It also announced and rewarded the best three candidates among them with WAEC International Excellence Awards at its recent 71st annual general meeting held in Banju, capital of The Gambia.
A 17-year-old female Nigerian student of St Paul’s Academy, Jos, Plateau State, Miss Chioma Blessing Obidigbo, came third in the examination while Masters Alex Opoku Manu and Benjamin Eyram Nana Kwame Degbey, both Ghanaians and both 18-year-olds, from the same school, St James Seminary Senior High School, emerged overall best and second-best respectively.
Over 1.6 million (representing about 70 percent) of the entire candidates who sat the examination in the sub-region are from Nigeria.
Chioma, who wants to study medicine and surgery, scored 9As in her subjects in the examination.
The head of public affairs of WAEC International, Mr Demianus Ojijeogu, made this disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen in Nigeria.
He said the Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the best candidate also in the examination in the sub-region went to a Ghanaian student, Master Alex Opoku Manu, while the Distinguished Friend of Council Award was conferred on Mr Karamo Bojang, a Gambian, at the event.
Addressing delegates at the event, the president of The Gambia, Mr Adama Barrow, commended WAEC for what he called its exemplary service to citizens of the sub-region and also for its sustenance against all odds for the past 71 years of its establishment.
The Gambian president, who also lauded the organisation for various measures deployed to fight examination malpractice in member countries, urged stakeholders to join hands with the body to fight the menace across member countries.
In his remarks, the chairman of WAEC, Professor Ato Essuman, gave kudos to governments of WAEC member countries, saying their commitments have greatly helped the council in achieving its mandate.
He urged them not to rest on their oars.
