The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed Suleiman Kum as the new Head of the Nigeria National Office (HNO), placing a career administrator with more than 28 years of experience at the examination body in charge of its Nigerian operations.
WAEC announced the appointment in a statement issued in Lagos by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina.Kum joined WAEC on July 17, 1998, as Assistant Registrar II and rose through several administrative and technical positions before becoming Senior Deputy Registrar in 2024. Prior to his appointment as HNO, he served as Deputy Registrar in the Office of the HNO.
His career at WAEC has covered examination administration, test development, examination security, security printing, and the management of the Council’s branch and zonal offices.
28-year Career at WAEC
Since joining the Council in 1998, Kum has held several senior positions across its operations. He served as Director of Administration and as Zonal Coordinator in Port Harcourt and Ikeja. He also headed the Security Printing Department and served as Branch Controller in Gusau and Kano.
From September 2025 to August 2026, he was Senior Deputy Registrar, Test Administration, a position that placed him directly within one of WAEC’s core operational areas.
WAEC said his career has included responsibilities in test development, examination administration, examination security, branch management and zonal office management.
Kum’s career has also been associated with efforts to modernise WAEC’s administrative and examination processes having pioneered the use of Variable Data Printing and introduced enhanced security features into its security-printing operations.
He also led the introduction of facial-recognition biometric devices to replace the Council-wide attendance system and was involved in the delivery of Achievement Tests using the Computer-Based Examination (CBE) mode, reflecting WAEC’s broader shift towards technology-enabled examination processes.
From Agriculture to Education Administration
Born on October 16, 1970, in Minna, Niger State, Kum who hails from Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State studied Animal Production at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor of Agriculture degree and Second Class Honours, Upper Division.
He began his professional career in 1993 during his NYSC programme at the Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where served as Head of the Animal Production Unit.
He later moved into secondary education, teaching at Baptist High School, Jos, from 1995 to 1998. His responsibilities included serving as Form Master, Labour Master, Classroom Teacher and Health Master.
He joined WAEC in 1998, marking the beginning of a career that would eventually take him into senior management within Nigeria’s examination system.
Kum is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and has published works in national and international volumes. He has also presented academic and professional papers.
