When thousands of Nigerian students have to take crucial exams in the dark, the problem goes beyond logistics. It signals a breakdown of trust in an institution that is supposed to protect their future, TOYE FALEYE WRITES.
Chaos in the Exam Halls
WAEC examination halls in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, and Osun turned into places of confusion and frustration.
Students who were supposed to take Physics, Mathematics, and Agricultural Science in the afternoon waited for hours because exam materials arrived late.
As night fell, candidates bent over their desks, writing answers by the light of torches, phone flashlights, and solar lamps. Some finished after 10 p.m., which is a troubling situation for an exam that is supposed to uphold academic integrity.
Parents in Distress, Students Under Pressure
For parents, the experience was frightening. Many children came home late at night, tired and facing possible security risks.
For students, writing exams in poor lighting took a heavy mental toll.
Exams are already stressful. When you add tiredness, hunger, and darkness, it makes performance uneven and unfair. Now, both the credibility of the results and the trust in them are being questioned.
WAEC’s Repeated Failures
This is not the first time WAEC has had problems. After similar issues in 2025, the organization promised to make changes. But the same problems in 2026 show that it has not learned or adapted.
Each time this happens, WAEC loses more credibility as the group responsible for standardised education in West Africa. Parents and guardians are right to ask: if WAEC cannot ensure fairness and safety, what is the point of these exams?
How WAEC Can Make Amends
WAEC needs to improve its logistics to ensure exam materials arrive on time. To avoid delays, it should set up backup distribution centers in every state.
Technology can help. For example, sending digitised exam papers securely to centers could reduce the need for physical distribution.Most importantly, WAEC should put students’ well-being first by setting a strict rule: no exam should start after 6 p.m., no matter the delay.
Preventing Future Breakdowns
To prevent this from happening again, WAEC should start real-time monitoring of exam centers and give supervisors the power to report problems right away. It should also work with state governments on security and transport.
Transparency is also important. WAEC should publish reports after exams that explain what went wrong and how they plan to fix it. Without accountability, these problems will keep happening.
Restoring Trust: Compensation and Support
Experts say that compensation should be more than just apologies. WAEC should think about giving fee rebates or partial refunds to students who were affected.
Extra tutoring or practice exams could help students recover from the stress they experienced.
Parents and guardians should receive clear promises of improved safety measures. Students should also have the chance to retake disrupted exams under fair conditions. Only then can trust start to be rebuilt.
His incident is more than a logistical blunder—it represents a moral failure and a collapse of trust. WAEC must respond firmly to restore credibility, protect students, and reassure parents that their children’s futures are not being gambled away in the dark.