By our reporter 5.6.2026
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) said West Africa Examination Council’s conduct of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the darkness was reckless and appalling.
The exams began on April 21 and are scheduled to end on Friday, June 19. But across several centres in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun and Osun states students wrote their papers in the dark, sparking an outrage. According to officials, examination materials did not arrive on schedule.
“It is both appalling and condemnable that young Nigerians, who had already endured months of preparation, and the mental rigours associated with external examinations, were subjected to unnecessary hardship by being kept at examination centres far beyond reasonable hours,” said NANS president Akinteye Azeez.
“No examination procedure, administrative challenge, or operational deficiency should come at the expense of the safety and fundamental rights of students.
“What makes this development even more alarming is the fact that it occurred within the South-West region, a zone that has, in recent times, witnessed incidents of kidnapping, crime and other security challenges.
“Students must never become victims of administrative failures, poor planning or institutional negligence.”
Students were seen in viral videos writing with the aid of phone torchlights and solar-powered lamps.
Student writing in the dark.