BY DAYO ADESULU
West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Nigeria National Office, HNO, Mr Patrick Ehidiamen Areghan has said that candidates who sat for the WASSCE between 1999 to 2022 digital certificates are ready for download through it’s launched digital platform via www.waec.org.
The authorities of the West African Examinations Council, officially launched the long awaiting digital certificate platform October 20, 2022 at the Academic Inn Guest House and Event Halls, Ikeja, Lagos.
Areghan at the official launch demonstrated it’s usage before journalists in Lagos where a copy of lost certificate was immediately retrieved.
He said those who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations between 1999 to date, their lost or damaged results are ready and could be retrieved via it’s new digital platform.
“From 2023, the digital certificates of candidates will be available immediately WAEC releases the results of the year,” Areghan said.
He, however noted that the Council is working on releasing the digital results of those who sat for the examinations between 1970 to 1998.
He said: “I am glad to also announce that effective from December 2022, certificates for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022 will be available on the digital platform, and subsequently, from next year, 2023 candidates no longer have to wait for months before getting access to their certificates as they will be available on the digital platform immediately after the results are released.
“The WAEC Digital Certificate Platform is available via www.waec.org.The application can be accessed on mobile and web platforms.”
He said: “Our new digital platform, developed in conjunction with one of the world’s foremost security technology providers, is being implemented to streamline the issuance and verification of certificates from all over the world.
On the security of the digital platform, Areghan said, “The digital certificate platform gives certificate holders the power to prevent unauthorized users from accessing their data. “The Platform is compliant with global best practices by ensuring that the data of candidates are protected securely and cannot be accessed by third parties without the consent of certificate owners. Thus, it provides security for certificates.”
According to Areghan, to access the WAEC digital platform, each candidate will pay N7,500. To send or share the digital certificate with an institution, the candidate will be N3,500, while the confirmation of candidate’s certificate goes for N5,000.
He said the development of the new digital certificate platform is in line with WAEC’s continuous record of meeting global needs by using cutting-edge technology to improve candidates’ experiences as they seek to continue their education.
According to the HNO, students’ mobility is of utmost importance to the West African Examinations Council.
He said: “Our new digital platform, developed in conjunction with one of the world’s foremost security technology providers, is being implemented to streamline the issuance and verification of certificates from all over the world.
“The platform involves mobile and web-based application that is designed specifically for candidates, individuals, institutions and organizations.
“It holds powerful features that enable users to access, share, request and confirm certificates. It is also used to recover candidates’ forgotten/lost examination numbers.”
The HNO believes that with the advent of technology, there is the need to integrate technology with students’ lifestyles.
According to him, we live in a digital world where instant satisfaction and accessibility are the ultimate.
He decried that in the past the process of receiving, retrieving, sharing, verifying or confirming academic certificates is rather cumbersome and moribund, adding that the whole process is costly, and could be frustrating.
While assuring that the only answer could be found in Digital Certificates, he explained that
a Digital Certificate is the electronic version of academic or physical paper certificate.
“It is hosted on a dedicated credential page with options to share and embed. It presents the same information with paper certificates but it has numerous advantages over and above paper certificates, with special focus on the elimination of fraud and easy accessibility, “he said.
