Private school owners in Ogun State have raised alarm over government-imposed conditions that could prevent hundreds of thousands of students from registering for the May/June 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
School proprietors, speaking anonymously, estimate that over 70% of private school students risk missing the exam if the current challenges are not resolved.
The issues stem from a mandatory requirement for students to have a Learner Identification Number (LIN) before WASSCE registration.
“Although LINs are issued once students are enrolled in any school, technical glitches on the new DIPER platform—replacing the former OGSERA system—have caused many registered students to lose access to their records,” one proprietor explained.
The state government also requires Senior Secondary School 3 students who transferred from other states and lack a LIN to submit additional documentation, including Junior Secondary School 3 certificates and term results from SS1 and SS2.
Proprietors say meeting these requirements within the short timeline is impractical and unprecedented in neighboring states.
“Even if we try to comply, some students cannot access their previous results due to circumstances beyond their control,” a school owner added.
They are appealing to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene and delay the policy to prevent large-scale exclusion.
A viral message addressed to the state House of Assembly warned that up to 700,000 students could be affected.
Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, defended the policy, stating that the LIN system, introduced five years ago, is meant to curb examination malpractice and maintain accurate student data.
“Students without valid LINs may indicate irregularities. We are addressing genuine technical issues, but we will not compromise on exam integrity,” he said.
School owners urge the government to balance policy enforcement with practical realities, stressing that public policy must “wear a human face” to protect compliant schools and innocent students.
