The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed Mr. Pateh Bah, from The Gambia, as its new Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a five-year tenure - October 2019 to September 2024. He succeeds Dr. Iyi Uwadiae, from Nigeria. Mr. Pateh Bah is a graduate of Pune University, Maharashtra, India from where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1997.

He also holds various postgraduate and professional qualifications from other institutions in India and the UK. Mr. Bah worked briefly with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Banjul, The Gambia from 1990 to 1991 before he joined the service of WAEC at its Gambia National Office on October 9, 1991. In 2002, he was appointed as Personal Assistant to the Registrar/CEO and he consequently, relocated to the Council’s Headquarters in Accra, Ghana.

Until recently, all the examinations conducted in Liberia by The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) were national examinations, despite the introduction of the Council’s international examination, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which was adopted by The Gambia in 1998, Nigeria in 1999, Sierra Leone in 2000 and Ghana in 2006.

In 2013, Liberia presented her first set of candidates from selected schools to sit WASSCE, which was to be conducted in the country for three years on pilot basis from 2013-2015. The health crisis experienced by Liberia within the time-frame slightly altered the schedule for the country’s full migration to WASSCE, as the examination could not be conducted for candidates in the country in 2015 to end the pilot period.

The 67th Annual Meeting of The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has ended in Freetown, Sierra Leone with the election of the country’s Chief Government Nominee on Council, Dr. Alhaji Mohamed Kamara, as Vice-Chairman for a one-year tenure. He succeeds Mr. Ebrima Sisawo of The Gambia.

Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Members of Parliament
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps
Honourable Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education
Your Worship, the Mayor of Freetown
Vice Chairman of Council
Leaders of Delegation and Chief Government Nominees on Council
Members of Council
The Registrar to Council
Former Chairmen of Council
Former Registrars to Council
Former Heads of National Office
Distinguished Friends of Council
Staff of the Council
Students
Representatives of the Mass Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Members of Parliament
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps
Honourable Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education
Chairman of Council
Your Worship, the Mayor of Freetown
Leaders of Delegation and Chief Government Nominees on Council
Members of Council
Former Chairmen of Council
Former Registrars to Council
Former Heads of National Office
Distinguished Friends of Council
Staff of the Council
Students
Media Representatives
Ladies and Gentlemen

My dear colleagues,

I most joyfully welcome you all into 2019. I glorify God Almighty for the abundance of His grace of good health, strength and divine guidance which saw us and our families through the past year. I convey to you hearty felicitations, as I congratulate us all on the successful execution of our mandate in the year 2018.