WAEC Launches Digital Certificate Platform Across Five West African Countries
The West African Examinations Council has rolled out its new Digital Certificate Services System, known as WAEC DigiCert, across all five of its member countries, marking a significant shift in how examination certificates are accessed, verified, and shared across the sub-region.
The announcement, made on Monday, February 17, 2026, through a statement issued by Demianus Ojijeogu, Head of Public Affairs at WAEC Headquarters in Accra, Ghana, on behalf of the Registrar, confirmed the full implementation of the platform in Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
According to Ojijeogu, the platform is a mobile and web-based application purpose-built to provide candidates and relevant stakeholders with seamless access to digital versions of their original certificates.
“The WAEC Digital Certificate Services System offers candidates the opportunity to access, request, confirm and securely share digital copies of their certificates with institutions worldwide,” he said in the statement.
The system is positioned to resolve one of the most persistent challenges associated with certificate management in West Africa, where lost examination numbers, misplaced result slips, and the logistical burden of manual certificate collection have long frustrated candidates, employers, and academic institutions alike. The platform now enables users to recover lost WAEC examination numbers directly through the system, a function that previously required extensive back-and-forth with examination offices.
On the reliability of the platform, Ojijeogu assured stakeholders that the system incorporates built-in authentication mechanisms. “The system is reliable and secure, and its authenticity is guaranteed while reducing administrative bottlenecks associated with manual certificate issuance and collection processes,” he stated.
The WAEC spokesperson was also careful to clarify that the digitisation programme would not replace the existing system of physical certificate printing and distribution. He confirmed that the traditional issuance of hardcopy certificates would continue alongside the digital platform, meaning candidates and institutions retain the option to work with either format.
Members of the public were directed to download the mobile application or visit WAEC’s official website and social media platforms for further information on how to register and access the service.
WAEC, established in 1952, is one of the oldest and most consequential examination bodies in sub-Saharan Africa, responsible for administering the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and other regional assessments. Its results serve as the primary gateway to tertiary education, professional certification, and employment eligibility for millions of young people annually across the five member states.
The move towards digital certification reflects a broader trend across African examination and public service institutions to digitise records and reduce dependence on paper-based administration. In Nigeria alone, where WAEC results play a critical role in university admissions coordinated by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, verification delays and certificate fraud have remained recurring problems for years. The DigiCert system, by enabling secure digital sharing directly with institutions worldwide, could significantly reduce the scope for document manipulation and administrative error.
The adoption of digital credentialing also aligns with growing demands from international universities and global employers for verifiable, electronically accessible academic records.