The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have introduced a ₦4,000 one-off verification fee for candidates using WASSCE O’Level results for tertiary admission, ending the practice of repeated verification of the same academic credentials across institutions.
Under the new arrangement, candidates whose admissions are regulated by JAMB will verify their WAEC results through the JAMB Verification Service, following which the verification outcome will be electronically transmitted to the relevant university, polytechnic or college of education for screening and admission processing.
The initiative was announced in a joint statement issued by JAMB and WAEC on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
According to the two examination and admission bodies, the arrangement is intended to simplify the admission process, reduce financial and administrative burdens on candidates, and eliminate the repeated verification of credentials that has often required applicants to make separate payments to different institutions.
The ₦4,000 charge is to be paid through JAMB’s designated platform, rather than directly to individual institutions.
JAMB and WAEC said institutions have consequently been directed to accept verification results transmitted through the JAMB system and must not demand another verification fee from candidates for the same WAEC result.
The policy means that once a candidate successfully verifies a particular WAEC result, the verification will remain usable where the same credential is subsequently required by another institution.
A candidate who uses the verified result for admission consideration at one institution would therefore not be required to begin another verification process or pay a fresh verification charge merely because the same result is being submitted to another institution.
JAMB and WAEC said the measure was part of ongoing efforts to digitise and streamline Nigeria’s tertiary admission process and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy associated with the transition from secondary education to higher education.
Verification of O’Level credentials has become an important component of tertiary admission processing, particularly as institutions seek to establish the authenticity of academic qualifications presented by candidates.
WAEC results, including the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), are widely used by candidates to meet admission requirements. Institutions may require verification of submitted results before completing screening or admission procedures.
However, the process has also generated additional costs and administrative burdens for applicants, particularly where candidates apply to more than one institution and are required to undergo separate verification exercises.
The new JAMB-WAEC arrangement seeks to create a single verification point, with the outcome made available to institutions through the JAMB platform.
The two bodies said the approach would not only reduce avoidable expenses but also help to strengthen the integrity and security of academic records by ensuring that institutions receive verified credentials through an authorised channel.
They urged candidates to use only the approved JAMB Verification Service and to make payments through the designated platform.
The examination and admission bodies also cautioned candidates against making verification payments directly to institutions where the same WAEC result has already been verified through the JAMB system.
