Abia ready to host 63rd WAEC council meeting – Otti

By Obasola Olatunde

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has declared the state’s readiness to host the 63rd Nigeria National Committee Meeting of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) scheduled to hold in Umuahia from November 17 to 21, 2025.

Otti gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received a delegation from WAEC, led by the Abia State Branch Controller, Mrs. Mary Chima, at the Government House, Umuahia. He described the council’s decision to pick Abia as host as a mark of confidence in his administration’s commitment to educational development.

“We thank WAEC for choosing Abia. We already have a receipt of your letter and have started making arrangements. We can assure you that we are prepared to host and will ensure that delegates have a memorable event here in Abia,” the governor said.

Otti stated that the choice of Abia reflected the state’s long standing reputation for academic excellence and adherence to examination ethics, noting that his government would continue to prioritize education.

He further directed the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, to reopen the recruitment portal for another batch of 4,000 teachers, in line with his administration’s education reform agenda.

Earlier, WAEC’s Branch Controller, Mrs. Chima, said Abia was selected ahead of other southeastern states in recognition of its “exceptional commitment to educational excellence, discipline, and reform.”

She explained that the National Council Meeting is WAEC’s highest policy-making body in Nigeria, bringing together State Commissioners of Education, Heads of WAEC Offices, and Senior National Officers to deliberate on key policies, review performance indices, and set examination standards nationwide.

“Under your exceptional leadership, Sir, Abia has maintained a top record of performance in WAEC examinations nationwide. The state has shown strict compliance with examination ethics and has given WAEC unrestricted cooperation,” Chima said.

The meeting, which will host top education policymakers from across the country, is expected to further strengthen collaboration between WAEC and Abia State in promoting quality education and examination standards.