The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed Mr Pateh Bah, as its new registrar for a five-year tenure.
Mr Bah, from The Gambia, succeeds Dr Iyi Uwadiae from Nigeria who served for seven years as twelfth registrar to council.
Mr Bah’s term takes effect from October 2019 to September 2024, a statement signed by the director, public affairs of WAEC, Abiodun Aduloju, said.
Mr Bah is a graduate of Pune University, Maharashtra, India from where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1997. He also holds various postgraduate and professional qualifications from other institutions in India and the UK.
Mr Bah worked briefly with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture at Banjul in The Gambia from 1990 to 1991 before he joined WAEC at its Gambia National Office on 9 October 1991.
In 2002, he was appointed as personal assistant to the registrar or chief executive officer (CEO) and he consequently, relocated to the council’s headquarters in Accra, Ghana.
While at the headquarters, he rose to the position of principal assistant registrar on 1 April 2010. He diligently and successfully served as personal assistant to two successive registrars.
Mr Bah in June 2010 was deployed to temporarily take charge of the Gambia National Office of the WAEC when its headship fell vacant.
Due to his effectiveness in the position, he was later made the acting head of national office for a two-year term from September 2010 to August2012.
At the expiration of the acting period and in view of his consistently impressive performance, Mr Bah was appointed the substantive head of the office with effect from 12 October 2012, a position he held until he assumed office as the thirteenth registrar to council on 1 October 2019.
His appointment to the position of registrar was ratified by Council (the international governing board of WAEC) at its 67th annual meeting held in Freetown, Sierra Leone in March 2019.
Aside his academic credentials, Mr Bah has made appreciable contribution to the development of education. He was a member of the governing boards of GTTI and the Gambia National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority.
He has served as chairman, Audit Committee of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) and is also currently the treasurer of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), and a member representing Africa on the board of trustees of the IAEA.
Mr Pateh Bah is married and has children.
