In an unexpected development that has sparked widespread concern across Nigeria and other West African countries, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has temporarily shut down its online result portal following what it describes as “serious and unforeseen technical issues.”
The development comes just days after WAEC officially released the 2025 May/June WASSCE results, with millions of candidates rushing online to check their grades. However, a large number of users began experiencing persistent errors, failed logins, and blank result pages — prompting panic among students, parents, and school administrators.
By Thursday morning, WAEC’s official website and result-checking portal were completely inaccessible, with a maintenance notice appearing instead. The Council has now issued a formal statement confirming the shutdown and asking the public for patience.
WAEC’s Official Statement
In a press release signed by the Acting Head of Public Affairs, Mrs. Moyosola Adetola, WAEC explained that its systems experienced “unprecedented levels of traffic and server stress” resulting in a temporary suspension of access to allow for a full-scale technical audit and recovery process.
“Due to overwhelming demand and unforeseen technical complications, the WAEC result portal is currently undergoing emergency maintenance,” the statement reads.
“Our technical team is working round the clock to resolve the issue and restore full access as soon as possible. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused to candidates, parents, and stakeholders across the region.”
Candidates in Panic Mode
The shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of candidates across Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia in a state of uncertainty. For many students, the release of results marks a pivotal moment — determining admission into universities, polytechnics, and other higher institutions.
A 17-year-old candidate in Lagos who spoke to reporters said:
“I tried more than 20 times since yesterday. First it showed an error, then the page just wouldn’t load. Now it says the service is unavailable. It’s heartbreaking because we’ve been waiting for months.”
Others voiced their frustration on social media, with hashtags like #WAECPortalDown, #WAECResults2025, and #FixWAECNow trending on X (formerly Twitter). Many users criticized the council for what they described as a lack of preparedness and poor digital infrastructure.
Cyberattack Speculations Spark Fear
While WAEC has attributed the shutdown to traffic and server overload, unverified reports circulating online suggest the possibility of a cyberattack or system breach. However, the council has denied any security breach, assuring candidates that the integrity of the results database remains intact.
“We have not experienced any cyberattack or data compromise,” Mrs. Adetola clarified. “This is purely a technical issue related to overload and not malicious interference.”
Nevertheless, WAEC has pledged to work with cybersecurity experts to reinforce its infrastructure and prevent similar occurrences in future result release cycles.
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