The 71st Meeting of the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), was held on Tuesday, 27 and Wednesday, 28 April, 2021 at the WAEC Testing and Training Centre (WTTC), Ogba - Lagos.

The Committee, which is the highest decision-making organ of WAEC on examination-related matters in Nigeria, meets twice a year, to consider matters relating to the conduct of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School and Private Candidates.

Its statutory Chairman is the Chief Government Nominee on Council Membership of the Committee comprises four representatives each, of the State Ministries of Education and the Department of Education of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, ANCOPSS and the Universities. It also includes the Registrar to Council, the Head of the Nigeria National Office, Head of Test Development Division (TDD) and Head of Test Administration Division (TAD) of the Council.

At the 71 Meeting, the Committee received a report on Irregularity. Special and Clemency Cases arising from the conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020, earlier considered at the 70 Meeting of the Committee. The Committee also received and considered reports on the conduct of WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2020-Second Series and 2021-First Series, as well as Irregularity Cases arising from the conduct of these examinations.

In the course of considering the various reported cases of malpractice, the Committee, after diligent deliberations, approved appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice, as prescribed by the Rules and Regulations governing the conduct of the Council's examinations. It approved that the entire results of candidates involved in proven cases, which attracted Cancellation of Entire Results (CER), be cancelled, while subject results of those involved in proven cases, which attracted Cancellation of Subject Results (CSR), be similarly cancelled. In addition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting for the Council's examinations for two years, some schools will be derecognized for a specified number of years or have their recognition completely withdrawn, some Supervisors that were found wanting in the discharge of their examination duties will be formally opened to being backlisted while some Invigilators will all receive appropriate disciplinary action. 

However, the results of candidates who were exonerated by the Committee will be released without any further delay.

Furthermore, the Committee considered Special Cases, Clemency Cases and Restitution Cases from WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2020-Second Series and 2021-First Series The Committee also received a report on the Statistics of Entries and Results for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020. In addition, it received and considered the General Resume of the Chief Examiners Reports on WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021-Send Series It equally received, and considered reports on the Activities of the Aplinade Tests Department (ATD), for the period October, 2020 to March, 2021 and on the Activities of the Research Department of the Council for the period October, 2000 to March, 2021.

With regard General Resume of the Chief Examiners Reports on WASSCE for Private Candidates 2025-Second Series, the Committee noted the observation by the Chief Examiner that the standard of the papers compared favorably with these of previous years and that the any and unambiguity of the questions were worthy of nate as they were within the scope of the syllables and ability of the candidates. They also reported that the rubrics were clear. questions were explicit and the marking schemes were comprehensive. The Committed the coming of the candidates as reported by the Chief Examiners

The Committee received, with applause the news that an Executive Secretary has been appointed by the Federal Government for the National Senior Secondary School Commission and called for collaboration in the fight against examination Malpractice

In addition, the Committee having observed the decrease in examination malpractice commended the Council for its effects in fighting the menace, noting that the deployment of technology and the cooperation of stakeholders were paying off.

The Committee also urged WAEC to make its search work on the "Factors Responsible for Examines Apathy in Reporting Malpractice Cases in WASSCE in Nigeria" available  to Examiners charged with the responsibility of marking candidates scripts in the Council's

Finally, in the Proposal of Time Limit for Candidates to Challenge NEC Decision Examination practice Cases, the Committee decided that

1. All exhibits should be disposed of one (1) year after the release of results

2. The decision to dispose of exhibits one year after the release of results should be publicized using the Council's website social media paid adverts, schools, and direct contact with Candidates

3. Appeals against NEC decisions should be received from affected candidates with one (1) year from the date of the release of results of the examination

4.  Appeal against the decision taken years ago should cease after one (1) year from the approval of this proposal

5. all the exhibits in storage should be properly disposed of at the expiration of a period of (1) year from the date of the decision of this Committee if there are no pending litigations that will require them