WAEC 10pm Exam, Blames Logistics

[Shola joshua]

Students sitting for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of Nigeria were forced to take their English Language Paper 2 under severe and disturbing conditions—many of them late into the night and without electricity.

Reports from various states revealed that some secondary school candidates began their exams as late as 6:00 p.m. and, in extreme cases, were still writing papers at 10:00 p.m., continuing past midnight into Thursday morning.

Originally scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the delay in distributing exam papers left students in multiple locations—including all 16 local government areas of Taraba State—sitting in near-complete darkness. Viral videos shared online showed students using torchlights and candles to read and write, with no power supply provided at their centres.

Following public backlash, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) issued an apology to candidates, schools, and parents. In a statement issued on Wednesday, WAEC spokesperson Moyosola Adeshina explained that efforts to safeguard the exam’s integrity, including the prevention of question paper leaks, resulted in logistical challenges.

“Despite our best efforts, we encountered logistical hurdles, security concerns, and sociocultural factors that negatively influenced our operations,” WAEC stated.
The apology did little to quell the outrage on social media, where citizens criticised the council’s poor planning and its disregard for student welfare.

“My sister got home after 10 PM yesterday from writing WAEC. Please, when did WAEC start conducting exams at night? What kind of incompetence is this, risking the lives of children who have to go home late at night?” wrote Adebayo Emmanuel on X (formerly Twitter).
@_Divine_Clement posted, “Students are currently writing WAEC Exam at Night With Torchlight in all 16 Local Gov’t area of Taraba State.”

@eemmanuels4 added, “Students are writing their WAEC exams as late as 9:23 PM. And many of these schools lack a reliable power supply. How are students managing to cope with writing their exams under such conditions?”

Another user, @_chiefagbabiaka, voiced frustration: “What is happening?…. WAEC exam at night. Which kind thing be this? Outrage as late arrival of @waecnigeria materials ‘force’ candidates to write Examination at night. As of the time of filing this report, no school in Ejigbo and Obokun Local Governments have commenced the examination.”

According to reports, students of MOLEK Islamic Comprehensive High School and Osogbo Grammar School in Osogbo began their exam at around 8:00 p.m., while anxious parents waited outside for their children.

“This is not a photo from a movie, let it be known that some SS3 students wrote WAEC at about 12 AM last night. We are waiting for your root cause WAEC!” wrote @ibikun_tayo.

@Blueflamesq also expressed disbelief: “Students seen writing WAEC by 12 am, who we offend for this country? Ahh,” while @hardguyyy01 lamented, “Students are currently writing WAEC by 11 p.m. in Taraba. It’s unfair, considering the current state of the country, with no security, poor infrastructure, and a general lack of concern for student welfare and safety. @waecnigeria we need an explanation to this @ArewaTwiter.”

@AfamDeluxo shared a heart-wrenching account from Warri and Asaba:

“WAEC candidates in Warri and Asaba are still stranded at their centers, waiting to write English Theory since 2PM. It’s now almost 9PM. No invigilators, no papers, no info. These kids left home since morning. This is heartbreaking and shameful! No institution in Nigeria works.”
Despite WAEC’s apology, many Nigerians are demanding accountability and immediate action to prevent such failures from recurring in future examinations.

[Author]

Posts