The Comrade Olushola Oladoja-led National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has decried the delay of the English Language paper in the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) today allegedly due to the leakage of examination questions.

In a statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer (PRO), Comrade Samson Ajasa Adeyemi and sent to Daily Sun, NANS condemned the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) over the delay, which it described as “undue”.

It was learnt that thousands of students were left stranded on Wednesday as WAEC delivered question papers for English Language exam to many centres across the country late or not at all.

It was further gathered that the English Language (II) exam, scheduled to start at 2:00 pm, did not hold in some centres despite candidates waiting late into the evening.

NANS said this development, which resulted in the postponement of the examination to an absurdly late period of 4:00 to 7:00 PM, demonstrates a shocking level of insensitivity and a gross disregard for the safety and well-being of Nigerian students, particularly those in rural communities.

“The decision to hold examinations at such late hours not only endangers students—many of whom must navigate unsafe routes to and from examination centers—but also disrupts their psychological preparedness and undermines the integrity of the process,” the national student body said.

NANS added that WAEC, as a long-standing examination body, is expected to be a beacon of professionalism, preparedness, and efficiency, noting that the repeated incidents of examination paper leakage are a clear indication of systemic failures in WAEC’s security measures and operations.

“NANS strongly believes that these lapses tarnish the credibility of our educational system and unfairly burden Nigerian students, who are already grappling with numerous challenges.

“We demand accountability, urging WAEC to identify and hold responsible all individuals or groups involved in the leakage of examination questions.

“WAEC must implement stricter security protocols to prevent future occurrences, leveraging technology, and enhancing staff training to safeguard the integrity of its examinations,” the statement reads in part.

NANS emphasised that WAEC must issue a public apology to all affected students and their families for the undue stress and inconvenience caused by this delay.

“Concrete steps must also be taken to ensure the safety of students traveling home late from examination centres, particularly those in rural areas.

“The academic future of our students must not be jeopardised by administrative inefficiencies or institutional negligence.

“WAEC must take immediate and decisive steps to rebuild trust and ensure that such incidents do not reoccur,” the statement further reads.

NANS said it remained committed to advocating for the rights and welfare of Nigerian students and will not hesitate to escalate this matter if tangible actions are not taken promptly

The Sun