The West African Examinations Council has introduced a new Digital Certificate Services System known as WAEC DigiCert across its five member countries in West Africa. The countries are Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Monday, February 16, 2026, and signed by Demianus Ojijeogu, Head of Public Affairs at the WAEC Headquarters in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on behalf of the Registrar of the Council.
WAEC is a regional examination body established in 1952 to conduct standardized examinations in English-speaking West African countries. Its certificates are widely used for admission into universities and for employment both within Africa and internationally.
According to the Council, the Digital Certificate Services platform is “a mobile and Web-based application that provides enormous benefits to the various stakeholders,” explaining that it offers “simple features that enable users to access, request, confirm or share digital forms of the original certificates.”
The Council stated that the system allows candidates to retrieve and manage their certificates digitally. It also enables users to recover lost WAEC examination numbers, a common challenge faced by former candidates who need their credentials years after completing secondary school.
WAEC assured stakeholders that “the system is reliable, the authenticity of the certificates is guaranteed, and the cost benefits to users cannot be overstated.”
Okay News reports that the digital platform was first tested in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, before being extended to the other four member states. The Council said the pilot programme in Nigeria received positive feedback from both candidates and educational institutions around the world.
By moving certificate access online, WAEC aims to reduce delays and administrative bottlenecks that often occur with manual certificate issuance and collection. The Council urged stakeholders “to use WAEC DigiCert to avoid administrative challenges and bottlenecks associated with manual certificate issuance and collection.”
However, the Council clarified that “the usual printing and issuance of certificates will not be affected by this innovation.” This means that candidates who prefer physical certificates can still obtain them through the traditional process.
WAEC added that the mobile application can be downloaded from the App Store for Apple devices and the Play Store for Android devices. Further information is available on the Council’s official website and social media platforms.
In a related development, WAEC also announced the release of the 2025 Second Series Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination results for private candidates. The West African Senior School Certificate Examination is a major secondary school leaving examination conducted annually by WAEC.
Candidates have been advised to visit www.waecdirect.org to check their results before proceeding to the Digital Certificate platform at www.waec.org to access their released digital certificate copies.
The rollout of WAEC DigiCert marks a significant step in the modernization of examination services across West Africa, especially as more institutions and employers globally demand faster and verifiable access to academic credentials.
