Outrage as Nigerian Students Write WAEC English Exam in Darkness After Major Delays(Videos)

 

A wave of shock and anger is sweeping across social media in Nigeria today, Thursday, May 29, 2025, as videos circulate showing candidates of this year's West African Examination Council (WAEC) forced to write their English Language paper parts II and III (objectives and theory) late into the night, relying on torchlights and candles.

The critical examination, originally scheduled for 4:00 PM, began at an alarming 7:00 PM and only concluded at 9:00 PM in many centers across various states, including Osun, Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun. Students had already completed Part I (Oral English) earlier in the day and endured hours of waiting for the main papers to arrive.

While the examination body initially remained silent, WAEC has now issued a statement through its spokesperson, Moyosola Adeshina, attributing the significant delay to "logistical challenges and security concerns" as part of heightened efforts to prevent examination leakage and safeguard the integrity of the WASSCE. A source, an examiner in Osun State, had earlier claimed that the delay was "due to leakage of the exam question paper," necessitating a hurried change of papers which led to the late start.

"We discovered that the students have seen the question, hence we need to change it. We hurriedly change the paper but it was late, and that is what caused them to start the examination late," the examiner stated.

The extended hours and challenging conditions left teachers and parents deeply frustrated. Jumoke Adedokun, a teacher, lamented, “It is a frustrating occurrence today, we never planned that we would stay that late but officials of WAEC insisted that the exam should be held today. We used phone torchlight to illuminate the hall today."

Adedokun expressed concerns about the potential academic impact: "There may be mass failure of the subject in Osun state due to this." She also highlighted the anxiety among parents: "Many parents have been calling us about the whereabouts of their children, we had to explain to them about the change. We started the exam at 7pm and ended by 9pm.”

Viral videos captured the poignant scene of parents arriving at schools late into the night, bringing food and water for their children who had been waiting for hours.

Nigerians on social media have been quick to blast the examination board, describing the situation as "embarrassing" and questioning the logistics and planning of such a crucial national examination. This incident follows a similar concern just last week where students in Delta State also wrote exams late at night.

WAEC has since apologized to candidates, schools, and parents for the inconvenience caused, reiterating its commitment to upholding high standards and promoting academic excellence. However, the outcry continues as many call for serious reforms to prevent a recurrence of such disturbing incidents in future examinations.