The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has declared that prospective school candidates without the National Identification Number (NIN) will have the chance to write this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The council’s Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Patrick Areghan, gave the assurance yesterday, at a conference to announce the release of results of the WASSCE 2021 for Private Candidates Second Series on Monday in Lagos. Areghan was speaking against the backdrop of worry expressed by some parents, following the recent collapse of the NIMC portal.
He noted that it was commonplace to occasionally experience such challenges with the introduction of new policies, adding that everything would fall in place with time.
“When the NIMC portal had the challenge, many persons became apprehensive, especially as it fell within the period when candidates were supposed to be registering for the 2022 WASSCE for schools.
“I remember very clearly that before now, we had announced that candidates will not be able to write the WASCCE without the NIN, that is, no NIN, no exam.
“We want to state here that following the recent challenge posed by the NIMC portal, candidates are free to write the examination without presenting their NIN.
According to Areghan, those with the NIN card can come along with it to school but nobody is going to be disadvantaged.
“Every Nigerian child will write the examination. Non possession of the NIN will not debar any child from writing the examination. It should not be a hindrance because we have instructed principals of schools to compile and forward list of prospective candidates without the NIN to council.
“Whenever they provide the NIN, we impute them accordingly in their data,” Areghan stated.
