Candidates sitting for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) faced major disruptions across examination centres in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, and Osun States as the late arrival of examination materials forced many students to write their papers late into the night.
The situation, which began earlier in the week, persisted on Thursday, raising concerns among parents and candidates.
It was gathered that the candidates, on Monday, waited for several hours before sitting for the Physics Essay and Objective papers, originally scheduled for 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
The delays continued on Wednesday when the General Mathematics Objective paper reportedly commenced as late as 6:30 p.m. in some centres and 8:30 p.m. in others, forcing candidates to remain in examination halls until after 10 p.m.
The disruption was particularly pronounced in parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
At several centres, candidates scheduled to take the Agricultural Science practical examination were left waiting for hours. While the first batch was slated for 2 p.m. and the second batch for 3:30 p.m., some centres had yet to begin the examination as of 8 p.m.
As darkness set in, many candidates were said to have sat for their examinations under poor lighting conditions.Boko Haram attacks army base in Borno, kills eight soldiers
Viral videos circulating on social media showed students relying on torchlights, mobile phone flashlights, and solar-powered lamps to complete their papers.
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The development has sparked widespread outrage online, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the welfare and safety of candidates.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Nigeria had not issued an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
