Thousands of students have been left stranded on Wednesday as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) yet to deliver question papers for English Language exam to many centres across the country.
The English Language (II) exam, scheduled to start at 2:00 pm, faced significant issues. In many centers, the question papers didn’t arrive as student continue to wail till after 8:00pm.
In the few centers where papers eventually arrived, the delay was so severe that students found themselves writing their exams under the glow of torchlights as daylight faded.
Accounts from multiple states confirmed the widespread disruption.
Lamina Kamiludeen Omotoyosi, a Facebook user said; As of now, at several centers in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, the WAEC English Language Paper 2 examination, which was scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM, has not yet been delivered to the affected locations.
However, they said that the examination will still take place today, yet it is currently 7:44 PM, and the students are still waiting at their respective centers. WAEC, what is the issue ?”
@ClementBoyi giving his account wrote; “Do you know that as at this time, WAEC student writing English language today hasn’t gotten their questions yet. This is 7:14 pm the student are waiting outside for questions. This is very sad actually. Reporting from orhuwhorun town udu LGA.”
An X user @omotoye_og lamenting the situation situation said; “What is the issue with this WAEC Logistics? 😡 Parents re here waiting for dere kids that came to write English exam, this is 7:06pm and d supposed school is using Touch Light for students to write such an exam 😑😑. Exam that is meant to start since noon started few minutes to 7”
This is the second incident recorded during the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)
On May 23, Sudents of Unity Modern School in Asaba, the Delta State capital, were forced to write their papers late into the night using torchlights, after a four-hour delay in the delivery of question papers.
The Delta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu JP, in her reaction urged WAEC to enhance its logistics and ensure timely distribution of examination materials across the state.
Mrs. Ezewu emphasized that although WAEC is an independent national examination body, the welfare of students in Delta State who sit for its examinations remains a matter of serious concern to the government. She clarified that the state has no control over the administration of the exams but maintains a responsibility to advocate for the well-being of its students.
According to the commissioner, the physics examination papers arrived at Unity Model Secondary School four hours later than scheduled. Upon receiving this report, she contacted the WAEC branch controller in Asaba to inquire about the cause of the delay and to convey the state government’s strong displeasure with the situation. Mrs. Ezewu also cited similar delays reported during the national values examination in various public and private schools across Udu and Okpe Local Government Areas.
Mrs. Ezewu condemned the apparent lack of adequate planning by WAEC in the distribution of examination materials and warned that such lapses would no longer be tolerated. She called on the examination body to take immediate steps to address the logistical challenges and prevent further occurrences that compromise the integrity of the examinations and the comfort of students across the state.
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Also, the Federal Ministry of Education hcondemned the incident in which candidates sat the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at night using torchlights.
The Minister of State for Education, Tunji Alausa, expressed his displeasure in a statement issued in Abuja by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
Ms Boriowo quoted the minister as outlining the situation captured in the widely circulated video as “completely unacceptable”, adding that all necessary measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for learning and assessment.
Mr Alausa criticised the poor conditions under which the examination was conducted at Unity Secondary School in Asaba, Delta, under the supervision of the State Ministry of Education.
“The ministry’s attention has been drawn to the conduct of an examination in an unsuitable environment, as seen in footage circulating on social media.
“This reveals an inappropriate setting for such a critical academic exercise, and it occurred under the oversight of the Delta State Ministry of Education”.
The minister stated that the ministry is working in collaboration with the Delta government and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to investigate the matter and ensure appropriate corrective measures are taken.
“The outcome of the investigation will be made public as necessary,” he added.
Mr Alausa reiterated his commitment to improving educational infrastructure and ensuring that students across the country have access to safe and enabling environments for teaching, learning, and assessment.
