By Joseph Erunke
The Federal Government has proposed a new examination timetable that will see candidates sitting the 2027 West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and other major external examinations receive their results by August, ahead of the September admission process into tertiary institutions.
Under the proposed schedule, the government is seeking to end delays in the release of examination results that could disrupt candidates’ transition from secondary schools to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
A statement on Wednesday night by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, said the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, disclosed the plan during a meeting with heads and representatives of examination bodies at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.
“The meeting focused on harmonising examination schedules, preventing clashes among major examinations and ensuring that results are processed and released within agreed timelines, “the statement said.
According to the proposed timetable, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will conduct the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from March 15 to 25, with results expected in the same month.
NECO’s Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) is scheduled to hold from April 1 to May 14, while WAEC’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will run from May 11 to June 18.
Both NECO and WAEC are expected to release their results in August 2027.
The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examination is proposed for June 1 to July 5, while the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) examination will hold from June 10 to July 9. Results from both examinations are also expected in August.
The proposed schedule places the examination bodies under pressure to complete their respective processes in time to meet the government’s August results-release target.
The Federal Ministry of Education said the initiative was part of the education reform agenda of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which seeks to improve efficiency, coordination and educational outcomes.
It added that engagement with examination bodies would continue to ensure compliance with the proposed timelines, strengthen accountability and align the release of results with tertiary admission schedules.
The government, under President Bola Tinubu, said it remained committed to reforms that would improve the efficiency of the education system and expand timely access to tertiary education.
However, the timetable remains proposed, with the success of the plan depending on effective coordination among the
examination bodies and their ability to meet the agreed deadlines.
If implemented as planned, the initiative could give candidates and their parents greater certainty over the transition from secondary school examinations to tertiary admissions, while reducing disruptions caused by late results.
Vanguard News
