Students from Ghana have emerged as the top performers in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, occupying the first three positions among candidates across the region.
The announcement was made during the 74th Annual Council Meeting of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which took place from March 24 to 28 at the International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana.
According to WAEC, the three students recorded the highest aggregate scores among 2,612,830 candidates who sat for the examination across The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
This information was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC Headquarters in Ghana, Demianus Ojijeogu.
Miss Huda Suleman emerged as the overall best candidate, securing the first position and receiving the prestigious Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the Best Candidate in West Africa for 2025.
Miss Paula Suwo finished in second place, while Miss Matthea Aba Andoh came third.
The council meeting, which lasted for a week, brought together representatives from WAEC’s five member countries. During the session, Ghana’s Chief Government Nominee, Professor Ernest Davis, was elected as the new Vice Chairman of the Council for a one-year term, taking over from Amos Fully of Liberia.
The event was officially opened by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, who was represented by the country’s Vice President, Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
In his keynote address, Mahama commended WAEC for its 74 years of service, highlighting the council’s role in maintaining academic standards and strengthening cooperation in education across West Africa.
However, he raised concerns about the growing cases of examination malpractice, warning that such practices could undermine the credibility of the council’s examinations.
He noted that while WAEC has introduced several innovative measures to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity in its examination processes, the increasing activities of fraudsters attempting to manipulate results and certificates pose a serious threat.
Mahama called on stakeholders across the region to join efforts in protecting the integrity of WAEC examinations by rejecting malpractice and promoting honesty.
Also speaking at the event, Ghana’s Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who was represented by the Deputy Minister, Dr Clement Apaak, stressed the importance of examinations in building both intellectual and practical skills necessary for national development.
He also announced that Ghana will resume participation in the international version of the WASSCE beginning with the 2026 examination cycle.
During the meeting, WAEC honoured Professor William Asomaning of Ghana as a Distinguished Friend of the Council in recognition of his contributions to the organisation.
The gathering also featured the 31st Annual Endowment Fund Lecture titled “Fostering Assessment Integrity within the Context of Credentialism,” delivered by Professor George K. T. Oduro.
The next WAEC Annual Council Meeting, which will be the 75th edition, is scheduled to take place in Nigeria in March 2027.
