18-year-old UI student bags WAEC merit award

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has conferred the award of distinction/merit on 18-year-old Mr Peter Seunara Arotiba, a Medicine and Surgery student of University Ibadan, for emerging the overall best candidate internationally in the 2018 WASSCE.

He clinched the 1st Prize Winner of the International Excellence Awards for the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) school candidates, 2018, having topped other candidates from the five WAEC nations- Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Gambia, accompanied with cash as announced by the Council on Thursday in Abuja.

Chairman of the Nigeria National Committee of WAEC, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, announced the awards at the 57th annual meeting of the Committee, where she also named Miss Adeagbo Michelle from Lagos, as the second national prize winner, Master Prince  Obi-Obuoha from Port Harcourt was awarded 3rd prize winner with cash prizes.

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During the ceremony, three best schools in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2018 from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja-Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, Louisville Girls’ Secondary School, Abuja, and Stella Maris College, Abuja, were presented with the WAEC Endowment Fund Book Prize.

Abdulkadir disclosed that the Prize in this category was worth 5,000 United States Dollars.

She said: “It will interest you to know that the winner of the 1st Prize for the National Distinction/Merit Award, Master Seunara Peter Arotiba, was also the best overall internationally in the WASSCE for School Candidates 2018, as he was presented with the International Excellence Award at the 67th Annual Council Meeting that was held in March 2019, at Freetown, Sierra Leone.

“Thereby, bringing victory to the Federal Republic of Nigeria after 11 years, when the Award was last won by a Nigerian,” she said.

She noted that the Council, over the years, has greatly improved on its service delivery to its numerous stakeholders, adding that Nigeria National Office, in particular, has taken advantage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve its service delivery.

Abdulkadir listed some of these innovations to include the online registration of candidates for both the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates and Private Candidates.

She said: “This development has enabled the Council in Nigeria to achieve 100% migration from paper-based to electronic enrolment of candidates for its examinations.

“The deployment of Quick Response Code (QR-Code) on its certificates, thereby making it impossible to falsify certificates issued by the Council; Candidates Identity Verification, Attendance, Malpractice and Post Examinations Management System (CIVAMPEMS); e-Marking and adaptation of Computer Based Test for its Aptitude Tests, form part of the ICT that has been deployed by the Council in Nigeria in the conduct of its business.

“The adoption of Advanced Printing Technology and deployment of a new technological solution called ‘ITEM DIFFERENTIAL PROFILE’ are some of the innovations adopted by the Council to tackle the menace of examination malpractice.

“The Council in Nigeria has also perfected its Electronic Certificate Management System, an online portal being deployed to enable qualified candidates in the WASSCE for Private Candidates to request for their certificates online via a dedicated platform,” she said.

Head of National Office of WAEC, Mr Olu Adenipekun, urged members of the Nigeria National Committee drawn from all parts of Nigeria to depart the meeting more united in their determination to effect positive changes in the education sector of the country.

He noted that the Committee was the highest policy-making organ of the Council in Nigeria, and has its membership drawn from both the Federal and States Ministries of Education and from the Education Department of the FCT, Abuja.

Others include Stakeholders such as the representatives of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), the Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Joint Admissions and Matriculation (JAMB) and “other interests”.

Meanwhile, Master Peter Arotiba said he was overwhelmed by the honour done to him by the Council, saying he was glad that his sacrifices and hard work had been crowned by the grace of God.