Oyo faults WAEC as candidates write exams late into night

By Oluseye Ojo

The Oyo State Government has condemned delays in the conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)

The government described the situation as unacceptable and harmful to candidates across the state.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olusegun Olayiwola, said in a statement on Friday that the government was deeply concerned about the hardship, anxiety and safety risks caused by the late arrival of examination materials at several centres.

According to him, reports received and verified by the ministry showed that question papers for Government (Objective) and Agricultural Science (Practical) examinations scheduled for Thursday, June 4, failed to arrive at many centres on time.

He stated that examination materials reportedly reached several centres around 6:30 p.m., forcing many candidates to remain in examination halls late into the night.

Olayiwola revealed that as of 8:11 p.m. on Thursday, some centres in Ogbomoso and Saki were still conducting the Government (Objective) paper, while the Agricultural Science Practical examination had yet to commence.

The commissioner also recalled a similar incident on Wednesday, June 3, when insufficient copies of Mathematics (Objective) question papers reportedly caused delays at several centres.

He said ministry officials contacted WAEC’s zonal authorities, who attributed the disruptions to logistical challenges.

While noting that WAEC operates beyond the direct control of the state government, Olayiwola urged the examination body to take urgent corrective measures.

He specifically called on WAEC to reschedule any examination paper that cannot be delivered to centres before 4:00 p.m. on the examination day.

According to him, such measures would reduce stress on candidates, protect their wellbeing and ease anxiety among parents and other stakeholders.

“The Oyo State Government remains committed to the welfare, safety and academic success of all students and will continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure conducive conditions for learning and assessment,” he said.