WAEC exam delays spark criticism from Oyo Government after students sat key WASSCE papers late into the night across the state

The Oyo State Government has strongly criticised the West African Examinations Council over severe WAEC Exam Delays that forced hundreds of candidates sitting the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination to remain in examination centres until late at night.

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The criticism was contained in a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olusegun Olayiwola, following widespread disruptions at examination centres across the state.

According to Olayiwola, the delayed arrival of question papers for the Government Objective and Agricultural Science Practical examinations on June 4 caused significant hardship for candidates, parents and school officials.

The commissioner said examination materials arrived several hours behind schedule in many centres, contrary to the timetable released by WAEC.

The situation reportedly worsened in some parts of the state, with candidates in Ogbomoso and Saki still writing the Government Objective paper as late as 8:11 p.m., while the Agricultural Science Practical examination had yet to begin.

Olayiwola described the development as unacceptable, warning that the delays exposed students to unnecessary stress, anxiety and security concerns.

The WAEC Exam Delays also disrupted candidates’ preparation schedules and created uncertainty for parents who had to wait for their children late into the evening.

The commissioner disclosed that the incident followed a similar disruption the previous day when Mathematics Objective question papers were reportedly supplied in inadequate quantities, forcing candidates to remain in examination halls for extended periods.

The repeated challenges have sparked concern among education stakeholders, many of whom questioned the circumstances that allowed crucial examination materials to arrive late or in insufficient numbers.

Olayiwola said officials of the ministry contacted WAEC authorities over the matter and were informed that logistical difficulties were responsible for the disruptions.

Despite the explanation, the state government insisted that immediate corrective measures must be implemented to prevent a recurrence.

As part of its recommendations, the government urged WAEC to automatically reschedule any examination paper that fails to reach centres before 4:00 p.m. on the scheduled examination date.

According to the commissioner, such a policy would help protect students from fatigue, minimise anxiety among parents and ensure examinations are conducted under safe and conducive conditions.

While acknowledging that WAEC operates as an international examination body outside the direct control of the state government, Olayiwola stressed that the welfare, safety and academic well-being of candidates must remain a top priority.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting learners across the state and pledged continued engagement with examination authorities and other stakeholders to ensure students are not subjected to avoidable hardship during public examinations.

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The latest controversy has renewed calls for improved logistics and stronger planning mechanisms to guarantee the smooth conduct of future examinations across the country.