By Chinyere Nwachukwu
ECCTIS, a UK National Information Centre for global qualification and skills, has described as impressive and fascinating, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) digital certificate verification portal, the latest technology in its chain of products.
ECCTIS, is a gold-standard provider of solutions and services in international education, training and skills, as well as in the recognition of globally portable qualifications.
It is an internationally trusted and respected reference point for qualifications and skills standards that provides official UK national agency services on behalf of the UK government in qualifications, skills and migration.
Mr Tim Buttress, Head of stakeholder Management Group of the UK ENIC, stated this at a webinar in conjunction with WAEC on Friday in Lagos.
According to him, one of the major purposes for the webinar is to provide an insight into the main drivers for development of online verification portals and also to discuss the future of students’ mobility from West Africa, among others.
He added that delegates from countries across the globe, such as the UK, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, Iceland, Malaysia, USA and others, participated at the conference.
According to Buttress, the introduction of the digital verification platform by the council is a huge step in the right direction, noting that it will go a long way in redefining processes, as well as facilitating operations.
In an interaction with the council’s boss, Mr Patrick Areghan, on how the initiative would support the mobility of students moving from Nigeria to other parts of the globe, Areghan stated that it was easy, convenient and prompt, with a little token.
Providing further overview of the platform, Areghan explained that before the launch of the platform, the manual system was in place, which he said , consumed a lot of time and energy, coupled with other beraucratic bottlenecks.
“We are selling this product to the entire world, the universities, polytechnics and colleges of Education the world over. It is a very good marketing strategy for us, as we are seizing the opportunity to sensitise the world about this new product from the stable of WAEC.
“The mode created challenges for persons from not only Nigeria but the continent, seeking to grab opportunities abroad.
“The idea of the digital mode of accessing our certificates then came up and here we are today. With this new digital platform, issues of doubt, delay, human intervention, fire, wetness and outright loss of certificates and others, will be adequately taken care of,” he stated.
He added that it was the council’s contribution to global development, by way of extending its services to any part of the world, thereby making it a truly global village.
He explained that one of the mandates of the council, was also to foster regional corporation.
On wether other member countries of WAEC had adopted the platform, the HNO noted that Ghana would soon be part of the initiative.
“Right now, I must say that most of the five member countries are yet to key in but country like Ghana has given us a firm assurance of adopting this technology very soon. You know, though WAEC is a sub regional body, made up of various countries, they are all independent.
“Every country moves at its own pace, under the general umbrella of the headquarters. They can all move only when they are ready to. Like I said before, ours is a pilot scheme, which is to say, they don’t need to repeat any of the processes any more, to embrace the technology.
“All they need do when they are ready is just to supply copies of the certificates to the service providers and they will heat the ground running.
“All what member countries need to do is just to show the will and move. That of Nigeria has proven to be very effective,” he stated.
Speaking further in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the webinar, Areghan assured of council’s commitment in ensuring that it met with the technological needs of the Nigerian child.
Describing the outcome of the session as satisfying and impressive, the WAEC boss noted that the development had shown that council was becoming more feasible and recgnised on the global stage.
He explained that one of the aims of the webinar was also to showcase the viability of council ‘s latest technological addition.
According to him, it is a marketing strategy aimed at propagating the new product and making it more globally feasible, as well as increase acceptance. Instead of doing peasant farming, why not go for mechanised farming?.
“We have been on the global stage before now, just as our products are also recognised globally but with what is happening currently, it is an additional feather on our cap.
“It is all about moving with the global trend in technology. In a way, we are selling the product to the entire world, the universities, polytechnics and colleges of Education.
“Not less than 1,211 participants joined this webinar today and this shows the interest by persons, in accessing this, adding to the chain of products we float in facilitating admission processes for Nigerian students globally.
“So, I must say that this has been a very fruitful meeting and I must say too that I am excited, WAEC Nigeria is excited and we are looking forward to doing more, for the Nigerian child,” he stated.
On his expectations from partners in the diaspora, Areghan told NAN that they were in two folds. Firstly, he stated that the patronage of council’s new digital certificate verification portal would increase, as far as the digital certificate was concerned.
“Remember that we are dealing with the millennium child and we are responding to their technological lifestyles.
“So after this very meeting with the participation of these global players, we are optimistic the patronage will increase. Secondly, like I have mentioned before, WAEC has registered its name as an institution to beat.
“We expect the patronage of other concerned stakeholders, world players, that are big names in the education industry to come on board for greater collaboration with us.
“We also expect the Nigerian students to also be able to achieve and access opportunities seemlessly anywhere they choose to globally, with this collaboration between WAEC and ENIC, as well as other international bodies that participated in this seminar.
“So, I must say that this has been a very fruitful meeting and I must say that I am excited, WAEC Nigeria is excited and we are looking forward to doing more for the Nigerian child,” he stated.
On his expectations from partners in the diaspora, Areghan said the patronage of council’s new digital certificate verification portal would increase as far as the digital certificate was concerned.
“Remember that we are dealing with the millennium child and we are responding to their technological life styles.
“So after this very meeting with the participation of these global players, we are optimistic the patronage will increase. Also, like I have mentioned before, WAEC has registered its name as an institution to beat.
“We expect the patronage of other concerned stakeholders, world players, that are big names in the education industry to come on board for greater collaboration with us.
” We also expect the Nigerian students to also be able to achieve and access opportunities seemlessly anywhere they choose to globally, with this collaboration between WAEC and ENIC, as well as other international bodies that participated in this seminar,” Areghan stated.
Recall that WAEC officially launched its digital certificate on Oct. 20, 2022 and had assured stakeholders that the platform could be used to recover candidates’ forgotten/lost examination numbers.
It also described the initiative as a one-stop shop for access and validation of certificates, whereby issues of result alteration would permanently cease to exist.
It noted that about 30 million certificate holders who had taken the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as far back as 1970 till date, would be able to access and share the original copies of their digital certificates from anywhere in the world. (NAN)
