BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – A new leadership dawn is setting sail at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) with the appointment of Dr Amos Josiah Dangut as its 14th Registrar and Chief Executive Officer effective October 1, 2026.
The decision, announced Thursday by WAEC Headquarters Public Affairs Head Demianus G. Ojijeogu in Accra, locks Dangut into a five-year tenure running from October 2026 to September 2031.
Dangut, who officially succeeds Alhaji Pateh Bah of The Gambia, climbs to the top seat after wrapping up a three-year stint as the Head of the Nigeria National Office, a position he held from October 2023 until September 2026.
A statement by the Examination body said the appointment was ratified by Council, the international governing board of WAEC, at its 74th Annual Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, in March 2026 with the new leadership expected to focus on educational technology and regional examination management across member countries.
Born on October 2, 1967, Dangut holds a Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Production (1991), Master of Science in Animal Science (1994), Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science (2017), and Master of Education in Administration and Planning (2020). Dangut began his career in education in 1994 at St. Louis College, Jos, where he served as a WAEC examiner before joining the Council in 1998.
An astute test developer and administrator, he has served in various capacities, including Assistant Registrar, Test Development Division, Ogba, Lagos; Head of Examinations Security and Deputy Branch Controller, Uyo and Bauchi; Branch Controller, Yola; Controller, Post-Examinations Department; Zonal Coordinator, Ikeja; and Deputy Registrar, Head of National Office.
With over two decades of experience, Dangut is noted for leveraging Information and Communications Technology to improve test development, administration and post-test activities.
As Head of National Office, he championed key innovations including the rollout of Computer-Based WASSCE, serialization of question papers and introduction of a Digital Electronic Marking System. He also oversaw the Digital Certificate Portal, WAEC E-Study Platform, Digital Records Archive, and systems for examination logistics and monitoring of examiners.
Over the course of his career, Dangut has received commendation from the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) for his handling of examination matters from 2000 to 2006, and an Award for Meritorious Service from the Ondo State Government during his NYSC year.
Described as a powerhouse in educational policy by his colleagues and contemporaries, Dangut boasts a towering administrative footprint that spans Nigeria’s most critical academic gatekeepers. His strategic leadership has shaped policies across the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Additionally, he has served on the board of the Grange Educational Foundation and as a trusted voice for WAEC, Dangut has aggressively championed national standards at the highest policy levels, including the Joint Consultative Committee on Education and the National Council on Education.
Beyond administrative corridors, Dangut remains a formidable intellectual force whose cutting-edge research regularly features in prestigious national and international journals and global conference stages. His influence stretches across borders, serving as the Regional Representative of the West African Sub-region on the Executive Board of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).
This global acumen is anchored by elite professional credentials, including his status as a Fellow of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and a member of the prestigious Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).
