…Proposes new Timetable
The Federal Government has proposed new examination timetable that will see candidates sitting for 2027 West African Examinations Council, WAEC, National Examinations Council, NECO and other major external examinations receive their results by August, ahead of September admission process into tertiary institutions.
Under the proposed schedule, government is seeking to end delays in 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 Director, Press and Public Relations of 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 Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.
“Meeting focused on harmonising examination schedules, preventing clashes among major examinations and ensuring that results are processed and released within agreed timelines,” statement said.
According to proposed timetable, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, will conduct 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, from 15 to 25 March, with results expected in same month.
NECO’s Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, is scheduled to hold from 1 April to 14 May, while WAEC’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, will run from 11 May to 18 June. Both NECO and WAEC are expected to release their results in August 2027.
National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB, examination is proposed for 1 June to 5 July, while National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, NBAIS, examination will hold from 10 June to 9 July. Results from both examinations are also expected in August.
The Proposed schedule places examination bodies under pressure to complete their respective processes in time to meet government’s August results-release target.
The Federal Ministry of Education said initiative was part of education reform agenda of Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, under 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 proposed timelines, strengthen accountability and align release of results with tertiary admission schedules.
Government, under President Bola Tinubu, said it remained committed to reforms that would improve efficiency of education system and expand timely access to tertiary education.
Timetable remains proposed, with success of plan depending on effective coordination among examination bodies and their ability to meet agreed deadlines.
If implemented as planned, initiative could give candidates and their parents greater certainty over transition from secondary school examinations to tertiary admissions, while reducing disruptions caused by late results.
