The Head of the National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Amos Dangut, has acknowledged that exams conducted late at night in parts of Nigeria last week did not meet the council’s operational standards.
Speaking on Monday during an appearance before the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, Dangut addressed concerns surrounding the disruption of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) English Language paper held last Wednesday.
The examination, scheduled for 9 a.m., was delayed for several hours at many centres, with reports emerging that students wrote the paper late into the night using torchlights and phone flashlights to read and answer questions.
Dangut attributed the disruption to logistical setbacks triggered by the leakage of the original exam paper. He explained that WAEC had to reprint fresh question papers under tight time constraints, which caused delays in distribution and eventual late-night examinations in some locations.
“The examinations conducted late at night in some parts of the country did not meet our standards. They were a result of unforeseen circumstances following the compromise of the original exam papers,” he told the committee.
Billy Osawaru, a member of the committee, queried Dangut about the integrity of the exams conducted under such conditions, asking whether the late-night papers could still be deemed credible.
In response, Dangut said the council is reviewing the incidents to determine the next steps and ensure such occurrences do not repeat.
The situation has sparked debate about exam security, preparedness, and the psychological toll on students forced to endure irregular testing conditions.
