On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Nigeria’s education sector faced yet another stain on its reputation as students across multiple states were forced to write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) English Language Paper 2 late into the night, some extending past midnight.
Night Exams: A National Disgrace
Reports from Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Benue, and Taraba painted a grim picture: students hunched over desks, struggling to read question papers under torchlights, phone flashlights, or candles due to power outages and delayed delivery of exam materials.
At Unity Model School in Asaba, Delta State, students wrote in near darkness, with exams starting as late as 6:00 p.m. instead of the scheduled 2:00 p.m. In Taraba, candidates exited exam halls around midnight, navigating unsafe routes home.
Parents, fearing for their children’s safety amid Nigeria’s rising insecurity, stood guard outside centers, some wielding lanterns and cutlasses to protect their wards.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) attributed the delays to “logistical setbacks, security concerns, and sociocultural challenges,” citing efforts to prevent question paper leaks.
Public Outcry and Social Media Reactions
This explanation, however, did little to quell public outrage. On X, users expressed fury and disbelief.
@Tope_Orus lamented, “Are we really making progress in our education system? This is deeply concerning, especially considering the current state of insecurity.”
@AmMrPlenty called it “beyond incompetence, it’s disgraceful,” demanding accountability. The National Association of Polytechnic Students labeled the incident a “national disgrace,” urging a thorough investigation.
@EbituPromise highlighted the systemic failure: “JAMB messed up badly… Now WAEC is holding night exams with kids using phone lights.” The lack of accountability exacerbates the crisis.
@emmanuel_nzube tweeted, “JAMB failed over 300,000 teens due to ‘technical glitches’, WAEC students write exams at midnight… Is this ‘renewed hope’ or recycled failure?”
One user lamented, “This is not just an examination failure; it’s a failure of the entire system. Our children deserve better.” Another questioned, “How can we expect students to perform optimally under such stressful and unsafe conditions?”
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JAMB’s UTME Debacle: A Parallel Crisis
This debacle echoes the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) crisis, where the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admitted that technical and human errors affected 379,997 candidates, with 206,610 in Lagos and 173,387 in the South-East.
Over 78% of the 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 out of 400, prompting a resit for affected students.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, tearfully apologized on national television, calling the failure a “sabotage.” Yet, parents and stakeholders criticized the short notice for resits, which clashed with ongoing WASSCE exams, causing further distress.
Implications for Students and the Education System
These incidents expose a troubling pattern of incompetence in Nigeria’s examination bodies, undermining the credibility of critical exams that determine students’ academic futures.
The WASSCE, administered by WAEC, is a prerequisite for university admission, testing core subjects like English and Mathematics. Similarly, the UTME is the gateway to tertiary education, with cut-off marks dictating eligibility.
The 2025 disruptions threaten the admission process, as delays and resits create scheduling conflicts, leaving students mentally drained and uncertain about their results.
With only 0.63% of UTME candidates scoring 300 or above, and WASSCE results pending, many fear a bottleneck in admissions, particularly for competitive programs.
A Call for Reform
The human toll is profound. Students, already under pressure to excel, faced traumatic conditions, writing exams in darkness or traveling late in unsafe areas. A parent in Yaba reportedly sold belongings to fund tutorials, only for their child to endure such chaos.
Despite public apologies, no officials have faced consequences. JAMB’s Oloyede remains in post, and WAEC’s response has been limited to promises of investigation.
This impunity sends a dangerous message: systemic failures can persist without repercussions. The absence of deterrence emboldens negligence, leaving students to bear the brunt.
Nigeria’s youth deserve better, robust infrastructure, transparent processes, and accountability to ensure their academic dreams are not extinguished by administrative incompetence.