In recognition of good performance, the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, on Thursday honoured the best students in the 2020 West African Senior Secondary School Examination, WASSCE, with prizes.
One of the prize winners, a student of Princeton College, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos, Yinka-Banjo, Victory Morenike, with No 4252067/039 came first, having scored A1 in her subjects, while her total score was 606.3196.
Another student, Adebowale, Dorcas Ayooluwa of Emerald Laurel Comprehensive College, Ibadan came second, having A1 in all her subjects with a total score of 601.2198.
The third student was Nwaozuzu Confidence Chinaza of Total Education Development Academy, Eke-Owerri, Abia. She also scored distinctions in all her subjects with a total score of 599.605.
In an interview with journalists, the mother of the first prize winner, Dr. Chika Yinka-Banjo, said that her daughter was unable to attend the event because she is presently studying Computational Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America, adding that the girl won 19 full scholarships abroad and had to choose one.
In their own remarks, Adebowale and Nwaozuzu attributed their good performance to hard work, while thanking God, their teachers, parents for giving them the opportunity to excel.
Addressing the gathering, the Chairman, Nigeria National Committee of WAEC, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, stated that the winners of the 2020 to edition are all females, adding, “this shows that what a man can do, a woman can do better.”
She said the council was exploring the opportunities in the Information and Computer Technology to improve its services and to make it impossible for unscrupulous persons to falsify its certificates.
Abdukadir said despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and insecurity in the country, the council was able to conduct examinations, adding that the council was doing everything possible to curb examination malpractices.
Representing Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, his Deputy Chief of Staff, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, said the administration would continue to support every efforts of the council to curb malpractices.
He said: “I wish to assure you that my administration will support any initiative embarked upon by Council, which is aimed at improving its services and maintaining the integrity of the certificates it awards to candidates.
“I am aware that WAEC has continued to record landmark achievements, particularly taking advantage of developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).”
“I must congratulate this Committee and the Management of the Council on both your Internet-based innovations such as your result-checking and result verification facilities, registration platforms for both your school and private candidates’ examinations, the embossment of candidates’ photographs on their certificates in order to check impersonation.
“The e-marking of scripts of your candidates and most recently, the deployment of the Electronic Certificate Management System (E-CERTMAN) which is an online portal designed to enable Private Candidates request for their certificate online and collect same at choice locations.
“Noteworthy also is the “WAEC Verify”, an online portal that enables Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Organizations to check the authenticity of candidates’ certificates, thereby eliminating certificate forgery and racketeering,” he added.
