North west and south west geopolitical zones recorded the worst results in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in 2021, analysis of WAEC results published by the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) has revealed.
Across Nigeria in 2021, a total of 838,486 public secondary schools’ students sat for WASSCE out of which 618,858 students made five credits including English and Mathematics. That amounted to a national pass rate of 74 percent which implies that 74 students out of every 100 that sat for the examination from public secondary schools across Nigeria in 2021 made five credits including English Language and Mathematics.
In 2019, available data showed that 879,341 students of public secondary schools sat for the same examination out of which 447,809 students made five credits including English and Mathematics, representing a national pass rate of 51 percent. This showed that 51 out of every 100 students made five credits including English and Mathematics.
However, in the north west, 61 out of every 100 students that sat for WASSCE made five credits including English Language and Mathematics in 2021. Although it was an improvement over the performance of public secondary schools in that region when 40 out of every 100 students in 2019 made five credits including English Language and Mathematics, it is the worst performance when compared with other geopolitical zones in Nigeria in 2021.
South West recorded the second worst result after north west in 2021. Our analysis showed that 63 out of every 100 students in the region made five credits including English Language and Mathematics in 2021. In 2019, it was 52 out of every 100 students that passed with five credits including English and Mathematics.
South East emerged as the best zone as 90 out of 100 students in that region made five credits including English and Mathematics in 2021. In 2019, it was 71 out of 100. South-South came second with 88 percent pass rate which means 88 students out of every 100 made five credits in 2021 including English and Mathematics. It was 66 out of 100 in 2019.
The north central recorded 76 percent pass rate in 2021, meaning 76 out of every 100 students made five credits in WASSCE as against 47 out of 100 in 2019.
North east geopolitical zone surprised many observers as despite the insecurity challenges facing the region, 68 out of every 100 students made five credits in WASSCE including English and Mathematics in 2021. This was a significant improvement over 2019 when 34 out of every 100 students made the mandatory five credits.
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In the last few years, many non-governmental organisations, especially USAID invested in the north east to resuscitate the region’s economy especially its education sector.
“Addressing Education in Northeast Nigeria (AENN) seeks to respond to the immediate educational needs of 302,500 children and youth in Borno and Yobe states through safe non-formal and formal education, while laying a foundation for the sustainable improvement of education systems at the community and government levels.
“Overall, the project seeks to ensure that children and adolescents in Northeast Nigeria have equitable access to certified high-quality basic education opportunities, communities benefit from increased skills and overall well-being, and the foundation will be laid for long-term peacebuilding in the region,” USAID said in 2020.
On a state by state basis, Enugu, Edo, Benue, Ebonyi and Anambra states topped the chart. 94 students out of every 100 that sat for the WASSCE in Enugu State’s public schools made five credits including English Language and Mathematics in 2021. In 2019, it was 66 students out of 100 that made 5 credits in WASSCE.
Also, 93 out of 100 students of Edo State’s public secondary schools made five credits in WASSCE as against 64 students in 2019. 92 students out of every 100 in Benue State recorded fiver credits in WASSCE including English and Mathematics in 2021. It was 60 students out of every 100 in 2019.
In Ebonyi State, it was 91 students out of every 100 that made fiver credits including English and Mathematics whereas in 2019, only 49 students were able to make five credits including English and Mathematics.
91 students in Anambra State’s public secondary schools recorded five credits in WASSCE including English and Mathematics in 2021, which was higher than 70 in every 100 in 2019. Cross Rivers State’s public secondary schools had 91 students recording five credits in WASSCE in 2021 as against 66 in 2019.
Other states that surpassed the national pass rate of 74 percent in 2021 are Rivers and Delta, 88 percent each; Bayelsa, Abia and Imo, 86 percent each; Nasarawa, 85 percent; Akwa Ibom and Taraba, 84 percent each; Kogi, 82 percent; Kano, 81 percent, and Plateau, 80 percent.
Other states are Abuja FCT, 78 percent; Kaduna and Kebbi, 77 percent; Sokoto and Lagos, 76 percent each; and Ondo, 75 percent.
The states at the bottom are Ogun and Oyo, 55 percent each; Kwara, 54 percent; Katsina, 49 percent; Osun, 33 percent, and Zamfara, 9 percent.
