The House of Representatives has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) 24 hours to submit a detailed report and clear guidelines on the conduct of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), following nationwide outrage over midnight exams in several parts of Nigeria.
This decision was taken during an investigative hearing convened by the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
At the centre of the inquiry was the controversial rescheduling of the English Language paper, which left many students sitting the exam under candlelight and torchlight conditions after midnight.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa), said the hearing was necessary to restore public trust in Nigeria’s examination system and to hold WAEC accountable for what he described as a failure of responsibility.
“This committee wants to know, parents and Nigerians want to know. We owe them a duty of care. To whom much is given, much is expected,” Oforji declared.
He noted that public funds had been appropriated for the examinations and insisted that the committee would not shy away from uncovering both immediate and deeper causes of what he called “the woeful conduct” of this year’s SSCE.
“We are not trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer, but we need answers. Understanding what went wrong will help forestall a repeat,” he added.
The issue came to the fore after Hon. Mary Ibikake (PDP, Bayelsa) moved a motion seeking clarity on the matter.
She stressed that affected candidates and their parents deserved transparency and assurance that such lapses would not be repeated.
Responding to the lawmakers, WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, issued a public apology to Nigerians, admitting that the situation had caused distress for many candidates.
“We deeply regret the incident. Parents, students, and stakeholders were put through avoidable hardship. We sincerely apologise,” Dangut said.
He explained that the chaos stemmed from the last-minute replacement of leaked question papers.
WAEC had reportedly discovered that the original English paper had been compromised, forcing the council to urgently set and print a new version.
“Our internal printing press was operating at just 50 per cent capacity. We had to outsource to external vendors, and unfortunately, that process led to the breach,” Dangut explained.
Distribution challenges also contributed to the delays. According to him, some of the vehicles transporting the new papers broke down in difficult terrain, resulting in overnight deliveries and the eventual midnight exams.
Despite the disruption, Dangut praised the resilience of schools and candidates who adapted quickly using rechargeable lamps, torchlights, candles, and even mobile phones to illuminate their examination rooms.
He assured the committee that internal investigations had begun and that legal action would be taken against anyone found culpable for the leak.
“We are now investing in expanding our in-house printing capabilities to full capacity to prevent such incidents going forward,” he added.
In closing, Oforji directed WAEC to submit the requested documents within 24 hours and called for immediate reforms to prevent future embarrassment.
“This must never happen again. WAEC must get its house in order,” he said, before the session was adjourned indefinitely.
