The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has issued an apology following widespread delays in the English Language examination held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
The late start of the Paper 2 exam left many students across Nigeria writing under extremely poor lighting conditions, with several reports showing candidates using torches and lanterns to complete the paper.
In a statement released on Thursday, the council explained that the delay was largely due to strengthened efforts to stop the leakage of exam questions. WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, noted that these protective measures were necessary to ensure a fair and credible exam process.
“While maintaining the integrity and security of our examination, we faced considerable challenges primarily due to our major aim of preventing leakage of any paper. While we successfully achieved our objective, it inadvertently impacted the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination,” Adesina stated.
Reports from various states confirmed that the exam, which was meant to start earlier in the day, did not begin until evening in some centres.
In Delta State, students were seen using kerosene lanterns and flashlights to write their papers as night fell. Similar scenes played out in other parts of the country, sparking criticism from parents, educators, and civil society groups.
WAEC also noted that aside from the enhanced security protocols, other factors such as transportation delays, security concerns in certain regions, and unique local challenges added to the disruption. The council assured the public that it is now working closely with security agencies and other partners to avoid a repeat of such issues.
“Despite our best efforts, we encountered logistical hurdles, security concerns and sociocultural factors that negatively influenced our operations. In order to forestall future occurrences of this nature, the council is currently collaborating with security agencies,” the statement read.
The exam body expressed regret for the hardship experienced by candidates and thanked schools and parents for their patience. “We recognise the importance of timely conduct of examinations and the impact of this decision on the candidates, their schools and parents, and we sincerely apologise for any inconveniences caused,” Adesina added.
This year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates began on April 24 and is expected to conclude by June 20.
