Late-Night Exam Drama In Benue: WAEC Explains What Went Wrong And Says Sorry

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has apologized for the delay in administering the English Language Paper 2 during the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Students in some areas of Benue State were compelled to write the objective section of their English exam late Wednesday night under challenging conditions, relying on phone flashlights and lanterns due to a prolonged delay in the arrival of the exam papers.

The affected candidates had earlier completed the essay portion of the exam but were left waiting for several hours before the exam officer arrived with the objective section.

The delay extended into the night, with some exam centers reportedly finishing as late as 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28.

Speaking anonymously to Daily Post, a student from a secondary school in Ogbadibo Local Government Area described the experience: “We waited for hours after finishing the essay. When the exam officer finally arrived, we had to use our phone lights and lanterns to complete the objective section. It was very stressful.”

In a statement released Thursday morning, Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, acknowledged the challenges faced during the exam.

She explained that although WAEC met its overall objectives, the difficulties encountered impacted the timely and smooth conduct of the exam.

“While upholding the integrity and security of our examination, we encountered significant challenges, mainly due to our strict efforts to prevent any paper leakage.

“We understand the importance of conducting exams on schedule and the inconvenience this delay caused candidates, schools, and parents, and we sincerely apologize for it,” the statement read.

“Despite our best efforts, logistical issues, security concerns, and socio-cultural factors adversely affected our operations,” WAEC added.