West African Examinations Council has rolled out a new digital certificate system in Nigeria, marking a major shift toward modernising the issuance, verification, and management of academic credentials across the region.
Gatekeepers News reports that the platform, known as WAEC DigiCert, has also been introduced in four other West African countries, including Ghana, as part of efforts to improve efficiency, security, and global accessibility.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Demianus Ojijeogu, head of public affairs at WAEC headquarters in Accra, Ghana, described the service as a mobile and web-based application designed to deliver enormous benefits to the various stakeholders. He explained that the platform simplifies how candidates, schools, employers, and institutions access and authenticate WAEC certificates.
Ojijeogu said the system provides simple features that enable users to access, request, confirm, or share digital forms of the original certificates. According to him, candidates can also retrieve lost examination numbers through the platform, eliminating long-standing challenges associated with misplaced documents and record recovery.
He added that the service offers strong cost advantages for users while ensuring reliability and security, which guarantees the authenticity of certificates and reduces the risk of forgery, a problem that has affected academic verification processes in the past.
The introduction of the digital system is expected to speed up transcript processing, enhance international recognition, and make certificate validation easier for foreign institutions and employers.
Ojijeogu noted that WAEC DigiCert has already undergone a successful pilot phase in Nigeria, where it received positive feedback from candidates, schools, and higher institutions. He said the encouraging response influenced the council’s decision to fully deploy the system across multiple West African countries.
Despite the innovation, he clarified that the digital platform does not replace the conventional printing and issuance of physical certificates, stressing that both systems would continue to run side by side to accommodate all categories of users.
“The mobile application is available for download on the App Store and Play Store for ios and Android devices, while further information can be obtained via WAEC’s official website and social media platforms,” the statement added.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the development, describing it as a timely intervention that aligns WAEC with global digital best practices.
The platform is also expected to improve data security, reduce processing delays, and enhance trust in the verification of West African academic credentials, particularly for students seeking admission, employment, or professional opportunities abroad.
