The 61st Annual Meeting of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has ended in Banjul, The Gambia with the election of The Gambia’s Chief Government Nominee on Council, Mr. Baboucarr Bouy, as Vice-Chairman for a one-year tenure. He succeeds Barrister D. C. Uwaezuoke of Nigeria.

The meeting, which was held from March 18 to 22, 2013, was formally declared open by His Excellency, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh (GMRG), President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of The Gambia, who was represented by the Honourable Minister for Presidential Affairs, Secretary General and Head of Civil Service, Dr. Njogu L. Bah.

In an address read on his behalf by Dr. Njogu Bah, President Yahya Jammeh welcomed delegates to The Gambia. While describing WAEC as a unique and reliable institution, President Yahya Jammeh recalled that the examinations syllabuses developed by foreign examining bodies in the past reflected mainly values and ideas that were alien to West Africa. He expressed delight that WAEC, not only considers and caters for the candidate’s cultural environment in its test papers but also provides the Sub-region with a vibrant educational focus through its world class service delivery activities. The President observed that for sixty one years WAEC has played prominent roles in educational development and regional integration in West Africa, and assured the Council of continued support by his government in the discharge of its responsibilities to the people of the Sub-region. He called for concerted efforts by all the member nations in the fight against examination malpractice.

The week-long meeting was attended by delegates from the member countries of WAEC – The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Among the delegates were the nominees of governments, representatives of ministries/departments of education, universities, teachers’ associations, and other interests. The meeting was preceded by the 18th WAEC Endowment Fund Lectureentitled Rethinking Teaching, Learning and Examining for Quality Enhancement in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Roles, Challenges and Prospects of Digital Technologies, which was delivered by Professor Mohammadou M. O. Kah, Vice Chancellor of the University of The Gambia.

Council, which is the highest organ of the organization, holds its meeting annually in rotation among the five member countries.  The meeting was hosted in 2012 by the Government of Nigeria and it will be the turn of the Government of Sierra Leone in 2014. At the 61st Meeting, Council reviewed the activities and operations of the organization in the five member countries. It considered reports from its national and international committees on various aspects of the organisation’s operations, and ratified the decisions taken on its behalf in the preceding year by the committees.  It also deliberated on the action plans and operational strategies presented by the committees and national offices, and approved guidelines for the successful execution of the Council’s mandate in the year ahead.

Council received reports from the leaders of country delegation, and noted with appreciation the efforts being made by their respective governments to improve access to quality education. It urged the delegates to digest the status reports presented by the leaders of delegation with a view to adopting best practices across the member countries. It expressed appreciation to all member governments for sustaining WAEC for sixty one years in spite of the difficult economic situation of the Sub-region. It also appealed to international donor agencies, philanthropic organisations and patriotic private individuals to assist governments in the funding of the education sector to enhance national growth, quality manpower production and sustainable development.

It noted with deep concern the prevalence of examination malpractice in the Sub-region, and called on all member governments to promulgate and enforce relevant laws in the fight against the malaise which has become a major threat to educational assessment and manpower development.

At the formal opening ceremony, Council honoured three candidates with the WAEC International Excellence Award for their outstanding performance in the May/June 2012 WASSCE. They were Miss Yvette Yeboah-Kordieh (1st Prize), Master Josbert Abaasa Ayambire (2nd Prize) and Master Bright Seyram Tsevi (3rd Prize). The three candidates, all Ghanaians, were selected from a total of 1,936,728 candidates who sat the examination in The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Miss Yvette Yeboah-Kordieh also won the Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the Best Candidate in West Africa.

The opening ceremony also witnessed the conferment of the prestigious award of Distinguished Friend of Council on Mr. Matthew P. Ndure, a citizen of The Gambia, for his outstanding contributions to the operations and progress of the Council.

At the end of the meeting, Council expressed deep appreciation to the government and people of The Gambia for the resources committed to the hosting of the meeting and the hospitality accorded the delegates.

Biodun Aduloju
Head, Public Affairs

Issued by:
Public Affairs Dept.
WAEC Headquarters
Accra, Ghana.

March 25, 2013