The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed Nigerian Amos Dangut as its new registrar/chief executive officer for a five-year tenure, from October 2026 to September 2031; he succeeds Pateh Bah of the Republic of The Gambia.
Demianus Ojijcogu, the head of public affairs at WAEC headquarters, Accra, Ghana, made this known on Friday, October 2, in a statement made available to BusinessDay.
Born on October 2, 1967, Dangut completed his basic education and furthered his studies. He earned a Bachelor of Agriculture (Animal Production) (1991), a Master of Science (Animal Science) (1994), a Doctor of Philosophy (Animal Science) (2017), and a Master of Education (Administration and Planning) (2020).
His professional career in education began in 1994, when he took up employment with St. Louis College, Jos, where he served as an examiner with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Subsequently, he joined WAEC in 1998.
An astute Test Developer and Administrator, he has within space of time served in various capacities, namely, Assistant Registrar/Subject Officer, Test Development Division, WAEC, Ogba, Lagos (July, 1998 January, 2005); Senior Assistant Registrar/Head of Examinations Security and Deputy to the Branch Controller, Uyo Branch Office (January, 2005 – January, 2008); Senior Assistant Registrar/Head of Examinations Security and Deputy to the Branch Controller, Bauchi Branch Office (January, 2008 December, 2011); Senior Assistant Registrar/Branch Controller, Yola Branch office (December, 2011 January, 2019); Deputy Registrar/Controller, Post Examinations Department (January, 2019 October, 2020); Deputy Registrar/Zonal Coordinator, Ikeja Zonal Office (October, 2020 to August 2023); Deputy Registrar/HNO’s Office (August 2023-October 2023).
Dangut was appointed the head of national office of WAEC, Nigeria, on October 2, 2023, a position he held until he assumed office as the 14th registrar to council on October 1, 2026. Council, the international governing board of WAEC, ratified his appointment as registrar to council at its 74th Annual Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, in March 2026.
He is well-skilled and versatile in test development, test administration, and branch and zonal office management. For more than two decades, he has leveraged Information and Communications Technology to innovatively improve processes in test development, post-test activities, and test administration.
Throughout his career, Dangut has demonstrated integrity, transparency, diligence, and a strong commitment to service. These qualities were recognised in the commendation he received from the Nigeria Examinations Committee for his handling of examination matters from 2000 to 2006, and in the Award for Meritorious Service presented by the Ondo State government and Akoko South Local Government during his NYSC service.
Dangut, as Head of the National Office, served on the governing boards of 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 also represented the Council in education policy forums, including the Joint Consultative Committee on Education and the National Council on Education.
During his tenure as Head of National Office, he championed innovations to strengthen examination delivery, security, integrity, and efficiency. These included rolling out Computer- Based WASSCE, serialising question papers, and introducing a Digital Electronic Marking System. He also oversaw tools and services such as the Digital Certificate Portal, WAEC E-Study Platform, Digital Records Archive, and Systems for Examination Logistics, Timetable Management, and Monitoring Examiners’ Attendance.
Dangut is an astute scholar with publications in both international and national journals. He has also presented numerous keynote and other papers at international and national conferences/fora.
He is presently the Regional Representative of the West African Sub-region on the Executive Board of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).
Dr. Dangut relishes swimming, tennis, farming, and spending time with his lovely wife and children. He is a Fellow of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and an active member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).