The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has dismissed reports claiming that it restricted Science and Arts students from registering for Economics in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), describing the claims as false and misleading.
The clarification follows reports published in October 2025 suggesting that the examination body had introduced new subject combinations that would limit Economics to students in the Business or Commercial category. Similar claims have resurfaced in October 2026, including a report by Campus Spotlight NG alleging that the Council revised its subject combinations and barred Science and Arts students from offering the subject.
In a statement published on its official X account, WAEC said it had not imposed restrictions on students’ subject choices or altered Nigeria’s national curriculum. The Council explained that curriculum design falls under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Education, while WAEC conducts examinations in line with approved national standards.
The controversy initially gained attention in October 2025, when education publications reported that Economics would be reserved exclusively for Business students under the arrangements for the 2026 examination. The reports generated concerns among students, parents and school administrators, particularly over the implications for candidates who had already begun preparing for their examinations.
WAEC subsequently rejected the claims in a statement issued on October 28, 2025, through its then Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adeshina. The Council maintained that it had neither issued a directive restricting subject choices nor introduced the alleged changes to the curriculum.
The Federal Government also addressed the wider concerns surrounding subject selection under the revised senior secondary school curriculum. In December 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education clarified that students were not prohibited from choosing approved subjects outside their traditional academic groupings, provided the selections complied with the applicable guidelines.
However, WAEC’s published subject-entry guidance lists Economics under the Business category, a classification that appears to have contributed to the confusion. The categorisation of subjects within the curriculum should not, on its own, be interpreted as evidence of a separate WAEC directive barring candidates from selecting subjects across different fields.
The Council has urged students, parents, schools and other education stakeholders to disregard unverified reports and rely on its official website and verified communication channels for accurate information about examination requirements.
The development highlights the need for clear communication about Nigeria’s revised senior secondary school curriculum and the distinction between government-approved curriculum arrangements and WAEC’s examination administration. It also underscores the importance of verifying claims about changes to examination requirements before sharing information that could influence students’ subject choices.
