The extension will give candidates affected by issues surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results more time to submit their National Examination Council (NECO) results.
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) has said the Nigerian Government has extended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) admission period.
The extension will give candidates affected by issues surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results more time to submit their National Examination Council (NECO) results.
NAPPS disclosed this in a September 3, 2026 document summarising the outcome of its meeting with the Minister of Education over concerns raised about the conduct and results of the 2026 WASSCE.
The document was signed by NAPPS National Secretary, Dr Kayode Adeyemi, and National President, Samira Jibir.
According to the association, the extension is intended to allow candidates to use their NECO results to address gaps in their WAEC results.
NAPPS clarified, however, that the admission exercise that closed on August 31, 2026, was the 2025/2026 admission exercise, and not the 2026/2027 exercise.
The association said the meeting also addressed the Federal Government’s limited direct control over WAEC, which is a regional examination body.
It said the Minister’s office encouraged schools to embrace NECO more widely as an alternative examination pathway, while challenging the national examination body to improve stakeholder engagement, communication and public confidence in its examinations.
NECO has also been challenged to: Increase its engagement with relevant stakeholders; strengthen its rebranding and public communication; improve the confidence of schools, parents and candidates in its examinations; [and] promote broader acceptance of its examinations,” the document said.
WAEC Results To Be Remarked Free Of Charge
NAPPS said the Minister stated that WAEC would conduct the ongoing remarking exercise requested by schools on a pro bono basis.
“The Honourable Minister of Education stated that the ongoing remarking exercise requested by schools would be conducted by WAEC on a pro bono basis, without additional cost to the schools concerned,” it said.
According to the association, remarking had so far been completed for 28 schools, with no changes recorded in the results of 25 schools.
“Only marginal changes were recorded for the remaining three schools,” NAPPS said.
The association said comparative performance data for the 2025 and 2026 WASSCE were also presented to the Minister.
It said the data showed an improvement in candidates’ overall performance at the credit-pass level in 2026, which appeared inconsistent with the pattern of results released by WAEC and the widespread failure reportedly recorded among candidates who sat the Computer-Based Examination (CBE).
However, NAPPS said significant declines were recorded in some subjects, including more than 30 per cent in Igbo Language and 19 per cent in Physics.
“These disparities were duly noted for further consideration,” the association said.
WAEC Asked To Explain Examination Results
NAPPS said WAEC had been advised to organise a broader engagement with private schools and other stakeholders after the completion of the remarking and review exercises.
It said WAEC would be expected to present a detailed statistical report on candidates’ performance in the 2026 WASSCE and respond to concerns raised by stakeholders.
The association also said the Education Minister’s office would decide on its request for an investigative committee after the ongoing engagements, reviews and related exercises were concluded.
The office, according to NAPPS, would also follow up with WAEC on outstanding results that had not been released.
Schools Warned Against Withholding Students’ Results
The meeting also addressed concerns over candidates’ access to their WAEC results.
NAPPS said the meeting acknowledged the need for WAEC to improve its technology and strengthen its digital systems to enhance the efficiency, security and credibility of its examinations and result-management processes.
Private schools were also advised to establish effective mechanisms for collecting school fees and reducing outstanding debts instead of withholding students’ WASSCE results as a means of recovering fees.
NAPPS Calls For Action Against Examination Malpractice
The association said the meeting recognised the need to support efforts to dismantle the examination malpractice ecosystem involving schools, parents, students and compromised officials within examination bodies.
According to NAPPS, WAEC maintains that the poor performance recorded in the 2026 WASSCE was largely caused by stronger measures introduced to curb examination malpractice, including the serialisation of examination questions.
“While this explanation remains a bitter pill for many stakeholders to swallow, the collective responsibility to confront and eliminate examination malpractice must not be overlooked,” NAPPS said.
It, however, said WAEC should provide clear statistical evidence to demonstrate the relationship between the anti-malpractice measures and the pattern of results recorded in the 2026 examination.