The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has said its new digital certificate will eliminate fraud.
WAEC’S Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Patrick Areghan, announced this yesterday in Lagos at the launch of the council’s digital certificate platform.
The HNO said the certificate is the electronic version of the physical paper certificate with special focus on the elimination of fraud and easy accessibility.
“Institutions and organisations can confirm with ease the reliability and authenticity of individuals’ certificates on the digital certificate platform. This eliminates fraud and will definitely send fakers out of the market. It has many security doors that make it impossible to hack,” he said.
Areghan assured all that as from December 2022, certificates for West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will be available on the council’s digital platform.
The HNO said from next year, candidates no longer have to wait for months before accessing their certificates as they will be available on the platform immediately after the release of results.
He added that the development is in line with the council’s continuous efforts at meeting global needs by using cutting-edge technology to improve candidates’ experience.
Areghan said the digital certificate became imperative because the process of receiving, retrieving, sharing, verifying or confirming academic certificates was rather cumbersome, moribund and costly.
The HNO said it costs N7,500 to access the digital certificate; N5,000 for confirmation and N3,500 to share.
He said: “The process of receiving, retrieving, sharing, verifying or confirming academic certificates is rather cumbersome and moribund. The whole process is costly and could be frustrating. The only answer can be found in digital certificates.”
The HNO explained that the digital certificate platform, currently available to those who sat the WASSCE as far back as 1999 till date, would enable over 30 million certificate holders to access and share the original copies of their certificates anywhere in the world.
Areghan said individuals can now share their digital certificates from a WAEC source instantly, regardless of the person’s location with instant verification and credibility.
He said council’s new verification and confirmation process eliminates institutional administrative delays and backlog of requests, adding that it also provides instant verification and credibility.
The HNO said universities, institutions and organisations can now enjoy a seamless, secure and fast confirmation process with the digital platform.
“The platform also allows for bulk confirmation of certificates at once. This saves valuable administrative costs and time,” he added.
Areghan said the certificate platform is available via www.waec.org and can be accessed on mobile and web platforms.
