The recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) English Language paper leak incident, which made thousands of candidates write their examinations at an ungodly hour, with flashlights and lanterns, has drawn the ire of many stakeholders, parents inclusive. While the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) apologised, it said the lateness was caused by logistical challenges and socio-cultural issues, adding that it was imperative to protect the integrity of the examination following the paper leak. Thus, observers want the body to deploy stricter measures in its operations to forestall a recurrence, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE and VICTORIA AMADI report.
Imagine writing an examination in the dark without proper illumination, on an empty stomach, and frazzled – this was the case last week when candidates across Lagos Ogun, Osun, Taraba and Delta states wrote the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) English Language Paper 2.
Videos and pictures went viral online showing pupils writing examinations late in the night with the use of flashlights.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) confirmed that there was a paper leak for that particular subject; and in a bid to protect the integrity of the examination, it had to reprint the papers. Thus, the council encountered “logistical hurdles, security concerns and socio-cultural factors”, which affected the timeliness of the examination.
Unsurprisingly, the issue generated heat among stakeholders, pupils, parents and school owners, who berated the examination body for not postponing the examination and seemingly toying with the safety of pupils. This has also raised concerns on whether WAEC and the National Examinations Council (NECO) would be able to implement the Computer-Based Tests (CBT) mode in the long run following the pronouncement by Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Candidates, parents narrate ordeal
A candidate, Miracle Isaac, said her family thought she was missing after staying in the examination hall till 9p.m.
“The English Language shocked me. My dad who was not in Nigeria was calling me because my mom called him to tell him that I was missing,” he said.
Another candidate, Eunice Osemudia, wondered why the examination body didn’t cancel the paper and fix another date for a resit.
Her words: “What will it take them to cancel that particular exam and fix it for another day? If the questions leaked as they claimed, how was that the students’ fault?”
Bisi Olaitan, a candidate in Ibadan, said: “I came back home from the exam hall around 11p.m. It was the same English that I failed three years back. With the way this year’s exam went, I doubt if I would scale through because we were under tension when we wrote the exam.”
A candidate in Imo State, Peace Okeke, said her school was not among those affected.
“My school was not affected. Mine is in Okigwe, Imo State. I also wrote the exam. I came back by 6:30p.m. on the day of the examination,” she said.
A sibling to one of the affected candidates in Asaba, Juliana Emeke, said: “I was thinking it was only Asaba that was affected. My sister who sat for the exam was saying that she could not deal with the exam, that she was hungry and that her brain could not process the exam. I pray they pass that particular subject, because most of them wrote under duress.”
A candidate in Osun State, Ayodeji Adelagun, said: “In my school, we used candles to write our English essays.”
Mr. Olabode Ojo, a parent, said: “JAMB scheduled an exam by 6a.m, WAEC delayed till 8p.m. to 10p.m. What will happen with NECO? These examination bodies don’t really care about the safety of our children. It’s so sad, honestly.”
A nursing mother, who is also a teacher, Mrs. Uche Ezeonu, said: “I am a teacher. I came back home with my baby at 10p.m. My phone went off. I didn’t have the mind to leave those students there. I had to wait for them.”
A concerned citizen, who craved anonymity, said she accommodated some of the students in her house to save them from being kidnapped.
“Some students spent the night at our house because of kidnapping in our area. They left the next morning to their individual homes,” she said.
A sister to one of the candidates, Gabriella James, claimed that her mother’s blood pressure rose as a result of searching for her brother who sat for the exam.
“We went looking for our brother. The school did not allow us to enter. My mum was very worried and her blood pressure went high. And my brother, who was writing the exam, did not eat before leaving the house that day,” she said.
WAEC apologises for delayed exam, vows to uphold integrity
The next day, WAEC apologised to parents, pupils and other stakeholders following the delay in the conduct of the English Language Paper 2. It stated that it delayed the examination for several hours in an attempt to protect its integrity after hints of examination paper leakage.
In a statement, Acting Head, Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, noted that in a bid to maintain the integrity and security of the examination, the council faced challenges trying to prevent leakage of any paper, thus, inadvertently affecting the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination.
The statement read in part: “Despite our best efforts, we encountered logistical hurdles, security concerns and socio-cultural factors that negatively influenced our operations. In order to forestall future occurrences of this nature, the council is currently collaborating with security agencies.
“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.
“WAEC appreciates the understanding and support of all stakeholders during this period. We remain committed to upholding the highest standard in the conduct of examinations and shall continue to promote academic excellence.”
Stakeholders’ react
The National President of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, stated that it was deeply disheartening that in the 21st century, Nigeria was still contending with the plague of examination malpractice, particularly the leakage of questions meant for students who are the future of our nation. This unfortunate reality, he said, raises pressing concerns about the kind of value system the nation is entrenching, one where cutting corners is not only rampant, but often goes unpunished, and where integrity and diligence are not sufficiently upheld as national virtues.
According to CONUA, allowing students to write their English Language examination late into the night, without access to electricity or proper learning infrastructure, under lanterns, candles or mobile phone flashlights is a glaring failure of planning and logistics, which places a significant psychological and physical burden on the young candidates – many of whom returned home at dangerous hours, causing their parents and guardians anxiety and distress.
He added that the academic performance of these students had no doubt been compromised, placing them at a disadvantage compared to their peers who wrote under normal conditions.
Sunmonu advised that WAEC, in acknowledging logistical challenges and security concerns, must not stop at public statements, but should act decisively to identify and support the affected candidates.
“This may include compensatory grading, or other fair and measurable interventions. Beyond that, WAEC must revise its operational framework to anticipate breaches like question leakages and respond swiftly with contingency plans that preserve both the integrity of its exams and the dignity of its candidates. Reactionary measures, no matter how well-intentioned, are not enough anymore.
“JAMB’s recent experience, where technical glitches were acknowledged and affected candidates were asked to retake the examination, serves as a more proactive example of leadership in crisis. Still, it is not enough to merely manage the fallout. Those responsible for systemic failures, especially if sabotage is suspected, must be investigated and punished to deter future occurrences.
“As a country, we must send a clear message that honesty, merit and transparency are non-negotiable values. This must reflect not only in rhetoric but in action, across education, governance and public life. Our examination bodies must rise to the occasion, if we are serious about building a future driven by excellence and integrity,” he said.
An educationist, Mr. Ibrahim Mikailu, noted that some of the ways to mitigate this is to institutionalise continuous assessment, such that the final examination takes only a percentage of the scores. This, he said, would be useful for examinations to allow re-sitting opportunities in the event of system failures or acceptable individual circumstances, while balancing it with the use of technology like the case of CBT, but with sustained checks of human intelligence and feedback process.
“Panic has been part of the examination systems in Nigeria, but it has been escalated by the JAMB incident, which inadvertently could be linked to WAEC. Moreso, the influence of social media has contributed to making isolated cases of dysfunction look universal. Without social media, most of the incidents would have passed as ordinary as they happened. Yet, it is a good development that challenges the status quo in the pursuit of excellence,” he said.
The President of the Association of Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Mr. Emmanuel Orji, stressed that cases like these were not entirely new to the educational system, adding that they were now amplified as a result of access to social media.
He noted that Nigeria needed a whole new approach to education, otherwise the country would continue to witness such occurrences.
“Anybody in a position can say anything, but the truth remains that these things are merely symptoms of a bigger challenge in this system,” he said.
Speaking on the Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa’s proposal on the introduction of CBT to national examinations, the AFED boss noted that it was not a bad idea, but would require a lot of infrastructure such as power, internet, laptops and planning.
He added that the implications of candidates writing this year’s examination at night would have a direct impact on their performance.
According to the Director of Platform Group of Schools, Adebola Obe, the paper incident serves as a clarion call to WAEC and other examination bodies in Nigeria. He added that it underscored the need for better planning, infrastructure and crisis management to ensure that pupils could write their examinations in a safe and conducive environment.
He urged government and examination bodies to collaborate to address the systemic issues that lead to such incidents and prioritise students’ welfare, stressing that only then could a more robust and reliable examination system be established, to serve pupils’ interests.
Obe emphasised that one of the most salient implications of this incident was the potential impact on pupils’ academic performance. He said writing examinations at such an hour, could lead to fatigue and stress, which may affect their capacity to perform at optimal level.
“Moreover, the utilisation of inadequate lighting can cause visibility issues, rendering it challenging for students to read and write, potentially leading to errors. Furthermore, the safety of pupils returning home at a late hour is a paramount concern, particularly in areas beset by security issues.
“The leakage of examination questions that led to the postponement of the examination and its subsequent conduct at an ungodly hour raises serious concerns regarding the security measures put in place.
“WAEC’s assertion that it successfully achieved its objective but encountered logistical challenges and security concerns that impacted the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination is insufficient to absolve them of responsibility. It is expected that an examination body of WAEC’s stature should possess a more robust contingency plan to mitigate the effects of such incidents.
“In light of this incident, it is pertinent to inquire whether examination bodies in Nigeria are afflicted by systemic problems. The challenges faced by WAEC are not isolated, as other examination bodies, such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), have also encountered similar issues. However, rather than attributing these challenges to happenstance, it is more productive to identify the causes and strive towards finding solutions. The recurring nature of these issues suggests a need for a more systemic approach to addressing the challenges faced by examination bodies in Nigeria,” Obe said.
CBT the way to go
The Head of National Office of WAEC Nigeria, Dr. Amos Dangut, has said CBT mode was the way to go, adding that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.
Speaking during the virtual May edition of the education dialogue, organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) last week, alongside the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, they expressed the readiness of their organisations to commence the CBT mode of examination in 2026 as directed by the Federal Government.
They spoke on the topic, “CBT for SSCE: Is Nigeria ready?” It was a gathering of scholars and stakeholders in the education space.
They described the move as the right path for Nigeria in the 21st century, adding that they were not unfamiliar with CBT mode exams, as they have already been using the format for some assessments, albeit on a smaller scale.
Acknowledging infrastructural deficits and low computer literacy that may hinder the smooth operation of the system at the outset—challenges they have also faced under the current pen-and-paper format—they insisted that the transition was necessary.
Dangut revealed that some schools were already conducting their ongoing May/June exam in CBT mode.
He said while challenges may arise with the CBT system, but any issues encountered would be resolved more swiftly than under the pen-and-paper format, and the mode would also help reduce examination malpractice.
Dangut said the recent technology glitch experienced during the conduct of the UTME by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was not enough to discountenance the CBT mode of examination entirely.
He stressed that JAMB had successfully conducted CBT examinations for many years without serious glitches until the last edition and had since improved its systems.
According to him, there is always room for improvement in any human endeavour and called on Nigerians at all levels to support WAEC and NECO in this transition and the general conduct of their respective examinations.
Addressing the issue of exam centres, given that the majority of schools across the country lacked basic ICT infrastructure such as computers and reliable power supply, NECO’s Registrar explained the organisation’s plan to overcome these challenges.
According to him, it has always been part of NECO’s long-term strategy to transition to CBT exams by 2027, but the Federal Government has now accelerated the process.
He said NECO, like WAEC, conducted no fewer than 76 subjects, many of which have multiple components, in about 26,000 schools nationwide serving as examination venues. Conducting CBT exams would, therefore, require functional ICT laboratories and other necessary gadgets, which most schools currently lack.
He said: “Conducting smooth CBT exams based solely on school premises would be difficult. Our plan, therefore, is to utilise credible CBT centres owned by private and public institutions, just as JAMB has been doing.”
Wushishi noted that schools with the necessary infrastructure would support the smooth conduct of the examination as they would serve as centres.
He said the examination body would commence CBT mode of exams this year with private candidates sitting for the November/December exam.
“We typically have fewer candidates for the November/December exam, whereas the school-based exam has approximately 1.3 to 1.4 million candidates. We need to start from somewhere and continuously innovate to improve the system until we achieve our desired outcome,” he said.
For Obe, the Minister of Education’s declaration to make CBT mandatory to WAEC and NECO would add another layer of complexity to the situation at hand.
“While the introduction of CBT exams could potentially enhance the efficiency and security of the examination process, it is crucial to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and training are in place to support this transition.
The recent incident highlights the need for adequate planning and infrastructure to support any examination format,” he said.
Sunmonu lauded the proposal, adding that it would modernise assessment, improve efficiency and reduce malpractice.
However, he stressed that the feasibility raises a number of serious concerns that must be carefully considered. He highlighted access and equity for candidates in remote areas, nature and pattern of examination, infrastructure and technical reliability, as some cogent factors that should be put in place to ensure its smooth implementation.
“In essence, while transitioning to CBT could be a step in the right direction, it must be done gradually, inclusively, and with a clear-eyed view of the challenges ahead. The focus should be on capacity building, infrastructural development, and piloting CBT across suitable exam types before a full-scale implementation is adopted,” he said.
