Of the 246,853 candidates who sat for the November/December 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, only 72,522 candidates, representing 29.37 per cent, obtained credits in five subjects, including Mathematics and English Language.

This puts the percentage of failed candidates at 70.63 per cent.

However, the Head of the Nigeria National Office, the West African Examinations Council, Mr. Charles Eguridu, said there was an improvement when compared with last year's 26.97 per cent (amounting to 80,135 candidates) who obtained five credits in five subjects, including Mathematics and English Language.

Announcing the results in Lagos on Thursday, Eguridu said there was a marked reduction in examination malpractices.

He attributed this to recent measures, including the introduction of biometric registration and customised mathematical sets with inbuilt calculators, taken to curb the scourge.

Notwithstanding efforts made to curb examination frauds, Eguridu said WAEC withheld results of 28,817 candidates.

He said the results which represented 11.67 of the number of candidates who wrote the examination, were withheld for "various cases of malpractices."

The cases, according to him, are being investigated with the reports of findings expected to be presented to the National Examination Committee for consideration.

The examination agency had withheld 38,260 results, equivalent of 12.88 per cent of the total number of candidates who sat for the examination in 2013 for similar reasons.

Short of the total figures are 5,691 candidates (about 2.3 per cent) whose results, Eguridu said, were still being processed for errors he blamed on the candidates and cyber café operators.

He said, "Of the total number of candidates that sat for the examination, 75,313 candidates (30.5 per cent) obtained credits and above in six subjects; 110,346 candidates (44. 7 per cent) obtained credits and above in five.

"In addition, 145,036 candidates, representing 58.75 per cent, obtained credits and above in four subjects while 177.177 candidates, representing 71.77 per cent, obtained credits and above in three subjects. A total of 205,090 candidates (83.08) obtained credits and above in two subjects," he presented.

The total number of candidates that sat for the examination this year is 61,364 short of the 308,217 candidates that wrote it last year – a decline of about 20 per cent.

There was also a shortfall of "blind candidates" enrolment. The figure fell from 82 recorded the previous year to 48. And while 17 of the category of candidates obtained five credits in 2013, four achieved similar feat this year.