By Ghazali Ibrahim
Parents and education stakeholders have expressed outrage after candidates sitting the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in several parts of Nigeria were forced to write papers late into the night due to delays in the delivery of examination materials.
The delays, which affected examination centres in Oyo, Lagos and Osun states, left thousands of candidates stranded for hours before they could begin their examinations, raising concerns about students’ safety, welfare and academic performance.
Reports indicated that candidates scheduled to sit for Agricultural Science Practical on Thursday waited several hours beyond the official commencement time, with some centres yet to receive examination materials as late as 8 p.m. In some locations, students reportedly wrote their papers under poor lighting conditions after sunset.
The situation followed similar disruptions earlier in the week. On Wednesday, candidates sitting for General Mathematics reportedly began writing in some centres around 6:30 p.m. and, in certain cases, did not finish until after 10 p.m. Physics papers conducted earlier in the week were also affected by delays.
The development sparked widespread criticism from parents, many of whom questioned why the examination body had failed to address logistical challenges despite similar incidents during the 2025 WASSCE.
A parent in Lagos said his child returned home around 10 p.m. after sitting one of the examinations, while another parent in Oyo State lamented that candidates were left waiting throughout the day for examination materials that had yet to arrive.
Several parents and concerned Nigerians also took to social media to express fears over the security implications of students travelling home late at night amid rising insecurity in parts of the country. Others warned that the prolonged waiting periods could negatively affect candidates’ concentration and performance.
In response to the concerns, a WAEC official acknowledged the challenges and said the council was working to resolve the issues.
“We are aware of some hitches due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we are doing everything possible to address the issues,” the official was quoted as saying.
The examination body has yet to issue a detailed public statement explaining the specific causes of the delays. However, stakeholders have called on WAEC to investigate the disruptions and implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
The latest incident comes barely a year after candidates in some parts of the country were forced to sit examinations late into the night following delays linked to efforts to curb examination malpractice and question paper leakages.
With more papers still scheduled in the ongoing examination, parents and school administrators are urging WAEC to restore confidence in the process by ensuring that subsequent examinations commence and end as scheduled.
