The National Association of Nigerian Students has strongly criticized the West African Examinations Council following the delayed conduct of the English Language paper in the ongoing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the association’s National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Adeyemi Samson Ajasa, NANS expressed deep concern over the rescheduling of the exam from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, stressing that such a delay put students’ lives at risk.
According to the students’ body, WAEC’s shortcomings should not come at the expense of students’ safety and well-being.
“The National Association of Nigerian Students under the leadership of Comrade Olushola Oladoja strongly condemns the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) over the undue delay of the English Language paper on Wednesday allegedly due to the leakage of examination questions,” the statement read.
“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 association stressed that holding such a crucial examination late in the evening not only posed a danger to students, many of whom would have to travel through insecure areas, but also disrupted their mental readiness and raised questions about the credibility of the examination process.
“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. WAEC, as a long-standing examination body, is expected to be a beacon of professionalism, preparedness, and efficiency. 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.”
NANS went on to call for those responsible for the alleged question leakage to be identified and sanctioned, urging WAEC to put more robust security systems in place to protect the examination process.
“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. Furthermore, 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 centers, particularly those in rural areas.”
Concluding, NANS emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore faith in Nigeria’s examination system and vowed to maintain pressure until meaningful actions are taken.
“The academic future of our students must not be jeopardized by administrative inefficiencies or institutional negligence. WAEC must take immediate and decisive steps to rebuild trust and ensure that such incidents do not reoccur. NANS remains 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.”
