The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the prolonged stay of candidates writing the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at examination centres in parts of the South-West, describing the situation as unacceptable and a threat to student safety. In a statement issued on behalf of……
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the prolonged stay of candidates writing the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at examination centres in parts of the South-West, describing the situation as unacceptable and a threat to student safety.
In a statement issued on behalf of the association, NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, said reports that students were kept at examination centres until late into the night on Thursday, June 4, 2026, reflected poor planning and coordination by examination authorities.
He said the development subjected already-stressed candidates to avoidable hardship after months of preparation for the external examination.
“It is both appalling and condemnable that young Nigerians, who had already endured months of preparation and the mental rigours associated with external examinations, were subjected to unnecessary hardship by being kept at examination centres far beyond reasonable hours,” he said.
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The student body argued that no administrative or logistical challenge should justify exposing candidates to unsafe conditions or denying them the right to return home at reasonable hours.
NANS further stressed that the incident amounted to a violation of students’ constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty and security, noting that examination procedures must operate within the framework of existing legal protections.
The association expressed particular concern that the incident occurred in the South-West region, which it said has recently witnessed security challenges including cases of kidnapping and other criminal activities.
According to NANS, leaving students stranded or moving late at night after examinations exposed them to unnecessary risks that could have been avoided with proper planning.
The student body called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and relevant government authorities to take responsibility for the incident and implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
NANS also demanded a comprehensive review of examination logistics and contingency arrangements to ensure that student welfare, safety and rights are prioritised in all future examinations.
The association warned that students must not be made victims of administrative lapses or institutional negligence.
WAEC has been trending on social media for late arrival of papers since Monday.
The examination disruptions began on Monday when candidates reportedly waited several hours before sitting the Physics Essay and Objective papers, which had been scheduled for 2pm and 3:30pm respectively.
The delays continued on Wednesday, with the General Mathematics Objective paper commencing at 6:30pm in some centres and as late as 8:30pm in others. Many candidates did not finish the examination until after 10pm.
According to videos seen on social media, some candidates were forced to write under poor lighting conditions after some centres did not begin the examination by 8pm on Thursday.
