The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed the delayed conduct of some papers in the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to a combination of logistical and operational challenges, including a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of three of its officials.
WAEC disclosed this in a statement issued by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina.
According to the examination body, the officials died in a road accident along the Gombe-Yola highway on Wednesday, June 3, while transporting sensitive examination materials across states.
The council said the incident significantly disrupted its distribution schedule and contributed to delays experienced in some examination centres across the country.
The development follows complaints from candidates who sat for the Mathematics and Agricultural Science papers last week in parts of Oyo, Lagos and Osun states. Many candidates reportedly wrote their examinations late into the evening due to delayed delivery of question papers and answer booklets.
In some centres, students relied on torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar-powered lamps to complete their examinations, while others moved outside classrooms after sunset in search of better lighting conditions.
Explaining the circumstances behind the delays, WAEC said preliminary investigations revealed that the disruption resulted from a combination of factors, including the fatal accident, security challenges, issues surrounding the finalisation of examination modalities and the late registration of candidates.
“The delay was caused by a combination of logistical and operational challenges, notably the direct result of a devastating motor accident on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, which tragically claimed the lives of three of our dedicated personnel who were transporting sensitive examination materials interstate,” the statement read.
“This heartbreaking loss, coupled with prevailing regional security challenges, severely compromised our distribution schedule, which inadvertently led to the delayed start times.”
The council noted that despite the tragedy, its personnel worked tirelessly to implement emergency measures to ensure that the examinations were conducted in the affected areas.
WAEC further explained that the late registration of candidates and challenges associated with finalising examination arrangements affected the timely production and distribution of examination materials.
The council also cited security concerns, including protests arising from the abduction of schoolchildren in some parts of the country, as factors that hindered the smooth movement of examination materials.
“The issues of finalising the mode of conduct of the examination and the subsequent late registration of candidates affected the timely preparation of examination materials.
“Security challenges which led to mass protests against the abduction of schoolchildren also affected the timely distribution of examination materials in spite of the council’s best efforts,” WAEC stated.
The examination body, however, assured candidates, parents and other stakeholders that measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the delays during the remaining papers.
According to WAEC, the smooth conduct of examinations on Friday, June 5, indicated that the challenges had largely been addressed.
“The council hereby assures the general public that it has put modalities in place to ensure that the rest of the examination is conducted hitch-free, as observed from the conduct of the examination on Friday, June 5, 2026,” the statement added.
The 2026 May/June WASSCE for school candidates commenced on April 21 and is scheduled to conclude on June 19, 2026.
