The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Nigeria has explained that the disruptions experienced during the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were caused by a combination of logistical, security and operational challenges.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, said the delays were linked to protests over the abduction of schoolchildren, the death of three WAEC officials in a road accident in Gombe State, and other operational difficulties.
The examination body was reacting to widespread complaints following delays that affected the conduct of several papers across the country last week.
On Monday, candidates reportedly spent hours waiting before sitting for the Physics Essay and Objective papers.
The situation persisted on Wednesday during the General Mathematics Objective paper and worsened on Thursday when some candidates in Oyo State reportedly completed their examinations under poor lighting conditions.
Videos that surfaced online showed students using torchlights and mobile phone flashlights to write their papers, drawing criticism from parents, teachers and other stakeholders.
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The disruptions occurred amid nationwide protests organised by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) over the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states.
WAEC also suffered a major setback when three officials responsible for transporting examination materials died in a road accident along the Gombe-Yola highway. According to the council, the officials were on official duty when their vehicle collided with a truck.
The examination body said it commenced preliminary investigations immediately after receiving reports of the delays from examination centres across the country.
According to WAEC, the investigation showed that the challenges resulted from a combination of factors, including the loss of key personnel, security concerns and difficulties arising from the protests.
“First, the delay is the direct result of a devastating motor accident on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, which tragically claimed the lives of three of our dedicated personnel who were transporting sensitive examination materials interstate,” the statement said.
“This heartbreaking loss, coupled with prevailing regional security challenges, severely compromised our distribution schedule, which inadvertently led to the delayed start times.”
WAEC extended its condolences to the families of the deceased officials, describing them as committed personnel who died while carrying out their duties.
The council stated that emergency contingency measures were immediately activated to reduce the impact of the incident on the examination process.
“While mourning this loss, our team of indefatigable staff worked around the clock to deploy emergency contingency measures to ensure that the examination was still conducted in the affected areas,” the statement added.
WAEC further noted that security concerns and protests triggered by the abduction of schoolchildren disrupted the movement and timely distribution of examination materials in some locations.
It also cited challenges related to the finalisation of examination modalities and the late registration of candidates, which affected the preparation and deployment of examination materials.
Despite the setbacks, the council assured candidates, parents and other stakeholders that corrective measures had been implemented to prevent a recurrence and ensure the smooth conduct of the remaining examinations.
According to WAEC, the impact of those interventions was already evident in the examinations conducted on Friday, June 5.
The council also thanked its stakeholders, including the Federal and State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police and other security agencies, for their support and cooperation.
“The Council has enjoyed the massive support and cooperation of its stakeholders, including the Federal and State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police and other security agencies who have remained worthy partners in the course of WAEC’s delivery on its mandate,” the statement said.
WAEC reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the integrity, credibility and seamless administration of the WASSCE nationwide.
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