Firstsitenews-The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has provided clarification regarding the unusual scheduling that saw some candidates writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) late into the night in certain parts of Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Thursday, the Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr. Amos Dangut, addressed the public concerns, explaining that the incident was a result of a serious security and integrity breach.
According to Dangut, the decision to reschedule some papers to night hours was taken as a last resort to safeguard the credibility of the examination process following an attempted compromise of the exam materials.
“There was an attempt to breach the integrity of our examination papers. We received credible intelligence that some individuals were trying to gain unlawful access to the exam content. In response to this, we had to initiate emergency logistical changes, which included conducting the affected exams during the night,” he said.
He acknowledged that while the situation was far from ideal, it was necessary to prevent the leakage and ensure that candidates across the country were assessed fairly and accurately.
Dangut emphasized that WAEC prioritizes the sanctity and integrity of its examination process, and will not hesitate to implement strict measures even unconventional onesp when such threats arise.
“This decision wasn’t taken lightly. We understand the discomfort and disruption this caused for both candidates and parents. However, ensuring that all students have an equal and fair chance was more important under the circumstances,” he explained.
The WAEC official also assured the public that investigations are ongoing to identify the sources behind the attempted paper compromise, and that anyone found culpable will face legal consequences.
He further noted that the council is reviewing its logistics and security protocols to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future.
The WASSCE, which is a critical examination for secondary school leavers in West Africa, is written annually by hundreds of thousands of students. Incidents like this, while rare, highlight the challenges of maintaining the integrity of large-scale public exams in a digital age where information leaks can spread rapidly.
WAEC has urged the public, particularly students and school administrators, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities that may undermine the examination process.
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