A furious outcry has erupted from the House of Representatives following disturbing reports of students being forced to sit for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) late into the night, with some even writing past midnight. Lawmakers have branded the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as incompetent, highlighting systemic failures that mirror the recent controversies plaguing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, publicly condemned the “gross failure of responsibility” displayed by WAEC, emphasizing the severe psychological and physical trauma inflicted upon students. “In Jalingo, for instance, it was reported that exams began around 12:00 a.m.
This is unacceptable. The emotional trauma inflicted on these students is unimaginable,” Oforji stated during a heated session at the National Assembly.
Other lawmakers echoed the outrage, with Hon. Awaji Abiante describing the situation as “disgraceful” and citing instances where question papers were allegedly left with commercial drivers. He questioned WAEC’s readiness for proposed computer-based testing, given the current infrastructural deficits in many schools. The House has given WAEC a 24-hour ultimatum to ensure the appearance of its Head of National Office, rejecting a delegation deemed incompetent to address the gravity of the situation.
WAEC, in a defensive statement, attributed the delays to “heightened efforts to curb examination malpractice,” particularly paper leakages, and cited logistical challenges, security concerns, and socio-cultural factors. However, critics argue these explanations fall short, revealing a deeper malaise within the examination body’s operations.
This latest debacle with WAEC comes on the heels of significant public dissatisfaction with JAMB’s 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Recent reports indicate a staggering mass failure, with over 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates scoring below 200 marks (out of a possible 400). While JAMB maintains that its stringent anti-malpractice measures, particularly its computer-based testing system, are responsible for the low scores, leading to a more accurate reflection of academic performance, many candidates and parents are disputing the results, citing widespread technical glitches, incomplete questions, and general systemic inefficiencies.
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Thousands of UTME candidates are reportedly preparing a class-action lawsuit against JAMB, demanding transparency and a review of their results. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has defended JAMB’s results as proof that anti-malpractice efforts are working, a claim that ironically casts a shadow on the traditional pen-and-paper examinations conducted by WAEC and NECO, where malpractice is perceived to be more prevalent.
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The recurring issues with both WAEC and JAMB paint a grim picture of Nigeria’s examination system. The criticisms against WAEC – from late arrival of question papers leading to night exams, to alleged question paper leakages and general logistical disarray – resonate with the technical hitches, questionable scoring, and perceived lack of empathy that have plagued JAMB.
Stakeholders across the education sector are calling for comprehensive reforms. Concerns range from inadequate preparation of students for standardized tests to infrastructural deficiencies in examination centers and a general lack of accountability from the examination bodies. The current crisis highlights the urgent need for both WAEC and JAMB to address their operational shortcomings, restore public trust, and ensure that the integrity and fairness of national examinations are upheld for the sake of Nigeria’s youth. The call for a transition to computer-based testing for all national examinations, as championed by the Minister of Education, remains a contentious but increasingly relevant conversation as a potential solution to combat rampant malpractice and streamline processes.
