WAEC blames exam delays on fatal crash, security challenges, late registration

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed the delays that marred the conduct of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in several centres across the country to a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of three of its personnel and a combination of logistical, operational and security challenges.

The examination body disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by Moyosola F. Adesinaits, Head of Public Affairs, following widespread complaints over the late commencement of some examination papers in parts of the country.

The explanation comes after days of public outcry over the conduct of the examination, which saw thousands of candidates stranded for hours before sitting for their papers, with some writing late into the night under poor lighting conditions.

The 2026 WASSCE got off to a troubled start last week as candidates in several centres experienced significant delays in the arrival of examination materials.

On Monday, many candidates reportedly waited several hours before writing the Physics Essay and Objective papers, originally scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively.

The situation worsened on Wednesday when the General Mathematics Objective paper, scheduled for the afternoon, reportedly commenced as late as 6:30 p.m. in some centres and 8:30 p.m. in others, forcing students to remain in examination halls until after 10:00 p.m.

Videos that later went viral on social media showed candidates writing examinations with torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar-powered lamps due to the fading daylight and inadequate lighting facilities at some centres.

Read also: WAEC faces fresh scrutiny after students write exams into night

Responding to the controversy, WAEC said preliminary investigations revealed that one of the major causes of the delays was a devastating motor accident that occurred on June 3, 2026, involving officials transporting sensitive examination materials across states.

According to the Council, the crash claimed the lives of three dedicated personnel and significantly disrupted the distribution schedule for examination materials.

“The delay was 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 said that despite the tragedy, its staff worked tirelessly to implement emergency contingency measures to ensure that the affected examinations were eventually conducted.

The Council also identified other contributing factors, including challenges associated with finalising the mode of examination and the late registration of candidates, which affected the timely preparation and distribution of examination materials.

In addition, it cited security concerns in some areas, including disruptions caused by protests over the abduction of schoolchildren, which hindered the movement of examination materials despite efforts by the Council to meet its schedule.

“Other factors include the issues of finalizing the mode of conduct of the examination and the subsequent late registration of candidates, which affected the timely preparation of examination materials.

“Security challenges which led to mass protests against the abduction of school children also affected the timely distribution of examination materials in spite of the Council’s best efforts.

“While expressing regret over the inconveniences experienced by candidates, parents and schools, WAEC assured stakeholders that measures had been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the delays for the remainder of the examination period.

“The Council hereby assures the general public that it has put modalities in place to ensure that the rest of the examination is conducted hitch-free, as observed from the conduct of the examination on Friday, June 5, 2026,” the statement added.

WAEC also acknowledged the support of key stakeholders, including the Federal and State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, which it described as critical partners in the successful administration of its examinations.

The examination body reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the credibility, integrity and standards of the WASSCE, while mourning the loss of its three personnel who died in the line of duty.