AN EXPOSITORY REFLECTION ON WAEC REGISTRATION PACKAGES, PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF CUSTOMISED MATHEMATICAL SETS (2024–2026)
Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos|July 26, 2026
For millions of Nigerian families, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is more than an annual academic exercise; it is an investment in the future of their children. Every year, parents and guardians, many of whom struggle under difficult economic conditions, mobilise resources to ensure that their children register for the examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). To them, the registration fee represents not just payment for an examination but a contractual expectation that every service and material contained in the official registration package will be delivered to the candidate.
In recent years, the registration fee for WASSCE has hovered around ₦30,000 per candidate, subject to yearly adjustments approved by WAEC. Public discussion has largely focused on whether this amount is high or affordable. Yet, a more fundamental issue has remained largely unexplored: does every candidate receive every item included in the official registration package?
This question has gained renewed relevance following widespread reports from candidates, suggesting that many students who registered for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 WASSCE did not receive the customised mathematical sets reportedly included in the examination package. Although these reports require official verification, they are sufficiently widespread to justify public discussion and administrative clarification.
Contrary to popular belief, WAEC registration fee covers much more than access to the examination hall. According to WAEC’s official registration guidelines for school candidates, the registration package includes a number of examination support materials supplied to schools. These include the offline registration PIN, examination timetable (or it’s equivalent) candidate identification materials, customised calculator and mathematical set, customised four-figure mathematical tables, certificate cover, Chief Examiners’ Reports and other instructional materials intended to support both candidates and schools.
The customised mathematical set deserves particular attention because it is not merely a promotional gift or souvenir. It is an essential examination tool. The set ordinarily contains a ruler, compass, divider, protractor, set squares, pencil, eraser and other geometry instruments required for Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Technical Drawing and several science-related examinations. The rationale behind providing a customised mathematical set is commendable. It seeks to ensure that every candidate enters the examination hall with standardised instruments irrespective of financial background.
However, the concern now being raised is straightforward: if the mathematical set formed part of the official registration package, why do many candidates from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 examination years insist they never received one?
This is not an accusation against WAEC. Rather, it is a legitimate public-interest question that seeks clarity regarding the distribution process.
Like many large institutions, WAEC operates a multi-layered logistics system. Examination materials are procured centrally before being dispatched to zonal offices, state offices, approved schools and finally to registered candidates through school principals and examination officers. At each stage, responsibility shifts from one authorised official to another. Consequently, if materials fail to reach candidates, the breakdown may occur at any point along this chain. It may arise from procurement shortages, transportation delays, documentation errors, school-level administrative lapses or communication failures. Determining where the gap exists is precisely why transparency is necessary.
The issue becomes even more significant when one considers the scale of WAEC’s operations. Each year, more than 1.5 million Nigerian candidates participate in WASSCE, making it one of Africa’s largest secondary school examinations. Even if only ten per cent of candidates did not receive mathematical sets included in the registration package, this would represent well over one hundred thousand students. Such figures underscore why proper accountability mechanisms are indispensable.
An interesting fact that many Nigerians may not know is that WAEC continues to recognise the importance of customised mathematical sets. Through its official Request Management System, the Council still provides candidates and institutions with the opportunity to obtain WAEC-branded customised mathematical sets and related examination materials separately when required. This confirms that the mathematical set remains an integral examination resource rather than an obsolete component.
One may wonder why this issue deserves widespread public attention. Some users on Facebook have claimed that they saw the customised mathematical sets being sold off WAEC examination centres in their localities. If such claims are true, they warrant investigation by the appropriate authorities. Such practices would create inequality among candidates who paid the same registration fee. Some students who have already paid for the mathematical set may still have to borrow one in the examination hall or purchase another from individuals allegedly selling materials that should have been distributed free of charge to registered candidates. More troubling is the possibility that what appears today as an isolated problem could become a recurring practice if left unchecked. Today, some candidates reportedly do not receive the customised mathematical set; tomorrow, other components of the examination package could also fail to reach their intended beneficiaries. Schools, which exist to inculcate honesty, responsibility and integrity, should never become associated with practices that undermine those very values.
Modern technology offers practical solutions to this challenge. WAEC could introduce a digital inventory management system in which every mathematical set carries a unique barcode or QR code linked to the registered candidates of each school. Upon delivery, school principals would electronically acknowledge receipt, while candidates would confirm collection through digital signatures or authenticated registers. Such a system would create a complete audit trail capable of identifying where any distribution gap occurs.
Similarly, annual transparency reports indicating the number of customised mathematical sets procured, dispatched, received and distributed nationwide would significantly strengthen public confidence. Such reports would neither expose sensitive operational information nor compromise examination security. Rather, they would demonstrate institutional openness and reassure parents that materials paid for are actually reaching the intended beneficiaries.
School administrators equally have an important role to play. Principals and examination officers serve as custodians of examination materials once these are delivered to their institutions. Accurate inventory records, documented candidate acknowledgements and timely reporting of shortages should become standard administrative practice. Parents, too, should request information regarding the complete contents of the registration package rather than assuming that examination fees relate only to question papers, assuming, of course, that any diversion is not occurring at the school level.
It is equally important to emphasise that raising these questions should not be interpreted as an attack on WAEC. For over seven decades, the Council has remained one of Africa’s most respected examination bodies, providing credible assessment and certification across several West African countries. Institutions of such standing strengthen their reputation not by claiming perfection but by responding transparently whenever legitimate public concerns arise.
If investigations ultimately reveal that every customised mathematical set supplied by WAEC reached the intended candidates during the 2024, 2025 and 2026 examination cycles, public confidence will be reinforced. If, however, gaps are identified anywhere within the distribution chain, timely corrective measures will further enhance the Council’s reputation for accountability and excellence.
Above all, the issue is not simply about a mathematical set. It is about the integrity of public institutions, the rights of candidates, the sacrifices of parents and the principles of transparency that sustain public trust. Every examination package represents a promise. Every candidate who pays the approved registration fee deserves to receive every component of that package. Asking whether this promise has been fulfilled is not an act of criticism; it is an expression of responsible citizenship and a call for continuous improvement in one of West Africa’s most important educational institutions.
Thank you for reading.
Fr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Amos
Catholic Priest, Lecturer and Journalist
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