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The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed Dr Amos Josiah Dangut as its new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, placing a Nigerian education and assessment expert at the helm of the regional examination body for a five-year tenure.
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Dangut, who headed WAEC’s Nigeria National Office from October 2023 to September 2026, assumed office as the Council’s 14th Registrar on October 1, 2026.
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The new Registrar brings more than two decades of experience in examination administration, test development and education management to the position.
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Dangut succeeds Alhaji Pateh Bah of The Gambia at a time when WAEC is expanding the use of digital technology in examination delivery and administration.
October 2, (THEWILL) – The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed a Nigerian education and examination administrator, Dr Amos Josiah Dangut, as its new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer.
Dangut assumed office on October 1, 2026, as the 14th Registrar to the Council, succeeding Alhaji Pateh Bah of The Gambia.
His appointment is for a five-year tenure running from October 2026 to September 2031.
The appointment was ratified by the Council, WAEC’s international governing board, during its 74th Annual Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, in March 2026.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Public Affairs, WAEC Headquarters, Accra, Demianus G. Ojijeogu.
Dangut, a Nigerian, previously served as Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office from October 2023 until September 2026, where he was involved in the administration of the Council’s examinations and the implementation of several technology-driven reforms.
Born on October 2, 1967, Dangut began his professional career in education in 1994 at St. Louis College, Jos, where he worked as a teacher and served as a WAEC examiner.
He joined WAEC in 1998 and has since occupied several positions across the Council’s examination administration and test development structures.
His academic background spans agriculture, animal science and education administration. He obtained a Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Production in 1991, a Master of Science in Animal Science in 1994, a Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science in 2017 and a Master of Education in Administration and Planning in 2020.
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Within WAEC, Dangut served as Assistant Registrar in the Test Development Division, Ogba, Lagos, before taking on responsibilities in examination security and branch administration.
He was Head of Examinations Security and Deputy Branch Controller in Uyo and Bauchi, Branch Controller in Yola, Controller of the Post-Examinations Department, Zonal Coordinator in Ikeja, and later Deputy Registrar and Head of the National Office.
The breadth of those assignments has given him experience in several critical stages of the examination cycle, from developing assessment materials and securing examination papers to administering examinations and managing post-examination processes.
Push For Digital Examination System
Dangut’s tenure at WAEC has been marked by an emphasis on the use of Information and Communications Technology to improve test development, examination administration and post-examination activities.
As Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, he championed the rollout of the Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the serialization of question papers and the introduction of a Digital Electronic Marking System.
He also oversaw the Digital Certificate Portal, WAEC E-Study Platform and Digital Records Archive, alongside technology-based systems designed to improve examination logistics and the monitoring of examiners.
The reforms have formed part of the broader transition in examination administration from largely paper-based processes to digital systems designed to improve efficiency, record management and the delivery of examination services.
Dangut’s experience in deploying such systems is expected to be relevant to his new regional responsibilities as WAEC continues to confront the challenges associated with the scale and complexity of examinations conducted across its member countries.
Track Record In Examination Administration
The new Registrar has received recognition for his work in examination administration.
He was commended by the Nigeria Examinations Committee for his handling of examination matters between 2000 and 2006.
He also received an Award for Meritorious Service from the Ondo State Government during his National Youth Service Corps year.
Beyond WAEC, Dangut has served on the boards of several major education-related institutions, including the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Grange Educational Foundation.
He has also represented WAEC at the Joint Consultative Committee on Education and the National Council on Education.
His professional engagements extend beyond Nigeria. He is currently the Regional Representative of the West African Sub-region on the Executive Board of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).
Dangut is a Fellow of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and a member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).
Research And Professional Contributions
In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dangut has contributed to academic and professional discourse through publications in national and international journals.
He has also presented papers at conferences, drawing on his experience in education, assessment, examination administration and test development.
His combination of academic qualifications, examination-management experience and involvement in education policy and assessment bodies has positioned him within the professional community dealing with educational assessment in Nigeria and the wider African region.
WAEC was established to conduct examinations and award certificates in the interest of public education and professional advancement in its member countries.
The Council operates across West Africa and administers major examinations, including the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, which serves candidates in several countries in the sub-region.
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