The West African Examinations Council has appointed the head of its Nigerian National Office, Amos Dangut, as its new registrar and chief executive officer.

Damianus Ojijeogu, the head of public affairs at WAEC Headquarters in Accra, Ghana, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Mr Dangut’s appointment is for a five-year term beginning from October 2026 to September 2031. Mr Dangut would succeed Pateh Bah of The Gambia.

Mr Dangut, born on October 2, 1967, holds a Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Production, a Master of Science in Animal Science, a Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science and a Master of Education in Administration and Planning.

He added that Mr Dangut started his professional career in education in 1994 at St. Louis College, Jos, where he served as an examiner before joining WAEC in 1998.

According to him, the new WAEC CEO subsequently served in various capacities at WAEC, including assistant registrar, senior assistant registrar, deputy registrar and deputy registrar/controller across its headquarters and branch offices.

Mr Dangut became head of the National Office of WAEC, Nigeria, on October 2, 2023, and held the position until his appointment as registrar to the council on October 1, 2026.

He said the International Governing Board of WAEC ratified Mr Dangut’s appointment as registrar at its 74th annual meeting in Accra, Ghana, in March 2026.

He added that as head of the national office, Mr Dangut championed innovations aimed at strengthening examination delivery, security, integrity and efficiency.

He listed the innovations to include the rollout of computer-based WASSCE, serialisation of question papers and the introduction of a digital electronic marking system.

He added that Mr Dangut also oversaw the digital certificate portal, WAEC e-study platform, digital records archive and systems for examination logistics, timetable management and monitoring examiners’ attendance.

The statement said Mr Dangut also served on the governing boards of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

He represented WAEC in education policy forums, including the Joint Consultative Committee on Education and the National Council on Education.

Mr Dangut was a scholar with publications in international and national journals and had participated in several national and international conferences and forums.

Mr Dangut was the regional representative of the West African Sub-region on the Executive Board of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa.

According to him, Mr Dangut is a fellow of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

(NAN)

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will operate as Skydance once their merger closes, Paramount CEO David Ellison announced Friday. Skydance is the name of Ellison’s original film production company.

The roughly $110 billion deal is expected to close October 6. It will combine two major Hollywood studios, Paramount+ and HBO Max, and networks including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and Food Network. Skydance will also control franchises such as “The Lord of the Rings,” “Game of Thrones,” the DC Universe, and “Yellowstone.”

The merger followed a drawn-out corporate battle. Netflix had agreed to acquire Warner Bros.’ streaming and studio businesses before the broader Paramount deal moved forward. Twelve states challenged the deal, arguing it could reduce competition and harm consumers and workers, but a judge approved a settlement with the state attorneys general this week.

Ellison said the Paramount and Warner Bros. brands will remain central. “We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” he wrote on X. The new name, he said, gives the company “an identity of its own” while letting both studios “remain in the spotlight.”