Recently updated on November 20th, 2023 at 08:40 am
18-year-old student of St. Paul’s Academy, Plateau, Chioma Blessing Obidigbo, has emerged the overall best candidate in the May/June 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The announcement was made at the opening ceremony of the WAEC 61st Annual Meeting of the Nigeria National Committee, held in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Chioma Blessing Obidigbo who was honoured on November 16, 2023 by the council, obtained Eight As to beat over 1.5 million candidates that sat for the examination.
Aside Chioma, two other students, Ingang Valour Mber from Topfaith International Secondary School, Mkpatak, Akwa-Ibom State with eight As and Ayomide Benjamin Olumide-Attah from St Francis Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos were also honoured.
The trio were presented with plaques, cash, certificates and trophies at the 61st annual meeting of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The young girl could not attend the ceremony due to her ongoing university studies in the United Kingdom. However, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Obidigbo, accepted the award on her behalf.
WAEC Head of National Office (HNO), Josiah Dangnut, said the NNC is the highest policy-making organ of the council in Nigeria.
He said the committee ensures the policies of the council in Nigeria are formulated and executed in the best public interest. He informed the gathering that in line with global best practices, the council plans to migrate its WASSCE for private candidates examination diets from paper and pencil test to Computer Based Examination.
“The innovation will commence with WASSCE for private candidates, 2024 – first series, which will be held in February 2024. While the objective tests will be fully computer-based, the essay and test of practical papers will be hybrid, in which the examination questions will be delivered on screen and candidates are required to write answers on the answer booklets given to them.”
The organisation also rewarded their schools for producing them, the best male and female candidates, the best male and female visually impaired candidates, top three schools with best results in Nasarawa State, as well as three members of staff of WAEC for putting in 20 years of service with the council.
NNC is the highest policy-making organ for WAEC Nigeria and constitutes of the nominees of the Federal Government, various state governments, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB), Nigerian Union of Teachers(NUT), Principals of secondary schools, universities, polytechnics and other stakeholders with members holding an annual meeting on a rotational basis across states of the federation and the federal capital territory.
While Chioma Blessing Obidigbo, a student of St. Paul’s Academy, Plateau State, who is now studying Biological Sciences at Furman University, in the US, won as the overall best candidate in the country and also best in female category, Master Valour Inyang,17, a student of Topfaith International Secondary School, Mkpatak, Akwa-Ibom State, as well as 17-year-old Master Ayomide Olumide-Attah of St. Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos State won the second and third prizes, respectively.
The three of them with slight differences in their aggregate marks scored distinctions in all their eight subjects sat for in the exam and were rewarded with cash prizes and certificates of merit for their efforts.
Similarly, while the Faith Academy, Masaka, emerged winner of the WAEC Endowment Book Prize for producing the best aggregate results in the exam under consideration in the whole of Nasarawa State, God’s Grace International Academy, Karo and Government Secondary School, Awogenshen took the second and third position respectively in that category. And they were given books worth US$5, 000 altogether for their libraries as a reward for their efforts.
Equally at the event, the duo of Samuel Silas, 20, a student of Government College, Obi, Nasarawa and 28-year-old Precious Mbajiogu, a student of St. John of God Secondary School, Akwa, won as the best overall male and female visually impaired candidates, respectively, while 17-year-old Felix Oyediran of Command Science Secondary School, Saki, Oyo State and 17-year-old Blessing Mgbemele of Government Science Secondary School, New-Karu, Nasarawa State, won as the best male and female candidate from public school nationwide.
Furthermore, the trio of Messrs. Victor Odu, David Fatunmibi and Waheed Amode, staff members of WAEC won the long service award at the event.
All of them, the award recipients and schools were presented with gifts and cash prizes.
