NANS SOUTHWEST SLAMS WAEC OVER "ADMINISTRATIVE GAMBLING" AND MIDNIGHT EXAMINATIONS

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has issued a scathing indictment of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), accusing the regional body of “administrative gambling” with the lives of thousands of Nigerian secondary school students.

The outcry follows reports from across the Southwest region where 2026 WASSCE candidates were subjected to grueling wait times, with some examinations starting so late that they bled into the night, concluding as late as 10:00 PM.

Speaking through an official dispatch to the Student Gazette, NANS Southwest Zone D highlighted the psychological toll these delays take on young learners. Examinations, already a source of significant stress, have become a source of physical exhaustion and mental trauma due to WAEC’s inability to deliver materials on time.

"It is inhumane to keep minors in examination halls for hours under uncertainty, only to force them to write complex papers at night when their cognitive energy is depleted," the association stated.

The Gazette reports that NANS Southwest Zone D is particularly alarmed by the safety implications. With many students relying on public transportation and trekking long distances to their homes, the "night exam" trend exposes them to:

• Highway Insecurity: Increased risk of kidnapping and armed robbery.
• Accidents: Navigating poorly lit roads after an exhausting day.
• Gender-Based Risks: Vulnerability of female students to harassment during late-night commutes.

NANS Southwest Zone D noted that this is not a new issue. Despite promises of reform made in 2025, WAEC appears to have doubled down on its inefficiency. The association is now calling on school principals and parents’ associations to join a unified front against these "midnight examinations," demanding that student dignity be restored to the Nigerian educational system.