The West African Examinations Council has appointed Suleiman Kum as the new Head of its Nigeria National Office.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by Moyosola Adesina, Head of Public Affairs at WAEC Nigeria. Kum has spent more than two decades working with WAEC, having joined the examination body on July 17, 1998, as Assistant Registrar II.
He rose through various positions and became Senior Deputy Registrar in 2024. Before his latest appointment, he served as Deputy Registrar in the Office of the Head of the Nigeria National Office. During his career with the council, Kum held several important positions, including Director of Administration, Zonal Coordinator in Port Harcourt and Ikeja, Head of the Security Printing Department and Branch Controller in Gusau and Kano.
He also served as Senior Deputy Registrar, Test Administration, between September 2025 and August 2026. His experience covers several areas of examination management, including test development, examination administration, examination security and the management of branch and zonal offices. WAEC said Kum also contributed to several administrative and technological improvements within the council.
Among the innovations credited to him are the introduction of Variable Data Printing and improved security features in WAEC’s security printing operations. He also led the introduction of facial recognition biometric devices to replace the council’s previous attendance system. According to WAEC, Kum was also involved in the delivery of Achievement Tests through the Computer Based Examination mode.
Kum has an academic background in agriculture and education. He obtained a Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Production from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, in 1992, graduating with Second Class Honours, Upper Division. He later obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the National Open University of Nigeria in 2025 and is currently completing a Master of Education in Educational Administration and Planning.
He began his professional career in 1993 during his National Youth Service Corps programme at the Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he headed the Animal Production Unit. Kum later taught at Baptist High School, Jos, between 1995 and 1998. During his time at the school, he served in different roles, including Form Master, Labour Master, Classroom Teacher and Health Master. WAEC said his contributions to the council have earned him several commendations, awards and other recognitions both within and outside the organisation.
Kum succeeds Amos Dangut, who became Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office in October 2023. Dangut recently moved to the position of Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of WAEC, effective October 1, 2026. He is expected to serve a five year term ending in September 2031. Kum assumes his new role as Nigeria’s education sector continues to undergo reforms aimed at improving the management of schools, learning materials and education programmes.
Recent measures include the planned implementation of the 10 Year Universal Basic Education Roadmap covering 2026 to 2035, as well as the use of digital systems to improve monitoring and transparency in basic education. The Federal Ministry of Education has also introduced a new list of approved and ranked textbooks for Nigerian schools for 2026 to 2028, with QR tracking codes designed to strengthen monitoring and accountability.
His appointment therefore comes at a period of significant changes in Nigeria’s education system, with examination administration and technology expected to remain important areas of focus.
