The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied circulating claims that it issued a directive restricting senior secondary school students to specific subjects for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

In a statement released on Tuesday by Moyosola Adeshina, acting head of Public Affairs, on behalf of the Head of National Office, WAEC described the reports as “unfounded assumptions” and urged schools and the public to disregard them.

Reacting to recent social media rumours alleging that schools had been instructed to reduce students’ subject combinations for the 2026 examination, WAEC reaffirmed that the claims were false and did not originate from the Council.

The examination body clarified that it does not have the authority to issue directives on the creation or modification of senior secondary school curricula, noting that such responsibility rests solely with the federal government through the appropriate educational agencies.

“WAEC wishes to categorically distance itself from this unfounded assumption and the information making the rounds on the said subject. The Council did not issue any such directive(s) nor restrict the choice of students to offer any particular subject(s) for WASSCE (SC) 2026 as alleged,” the statement read.

The Council stressed that its responsibility is confined to administering examinations based on government-approved curricula, operating strictly within the legal and administrative frameworks established by the Nigerian government.

“The development and regulation of Curricula in Nigeria is within the purview of the Federal Government. WAEC, as an examination body, only comes in to implement government policies via assessment.

“Schools, stakeholders, and the general public are hereby advised to disregard the misleading reports and rely solely on official communications from the Council for accurate information regarding examination guidelines for WASSCE (SC) 2026,” it added.

The Council also assured all stakeholders that any amendment to the curriculum would go through proper channels and would never be introduced arbitrarily.

The Council reiterated its commitment to professionalism, excellence, and fairness in the assessment of all candidates, assuring that no student would be unfairly treated in the forthcoming examination.