By Monsurat Abisoye
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has attributed its decision to conduct late-night examinations to abduction-related protests and the death of staff members in Gombe State.
In a statement issued by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, the council also cited a combination of logistical and operational challenges as contributing factors to the disruption.
Adesina explained that recent protests over abducted schoolchildren contributed to delays in the examination process, alongside the tragic loss of three WAEC staff members in a road crash in Gombe, as well as other operational difficulties.
The examination body has faced criticism following delays in the delivery of examination materials, which forced candidates in several centres across Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states to sit for papers late into the night.
In some of the affected centres, candidates reportedly used torchlights, mobile phone flashlights, and solar-powered lamps to write their examinations.
The disruptions reportedly began last Monday, when candidates waited several hours before eventually sitting for the Physics Essay and Objective papers, which had originally been scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively.