The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has explained that the late commencement of some papers in the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was caused by a series of logistical setbacks, including a tragic road a.ccident that k!lled three of its officials.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, the examination body said the officials lost their lives on June 3 while transporting sensitive examination materials along the Gombe-Yola highway after their vehicle was involved in a collision with a truck.
According to WAEC, the accident disrupted the movement of examination materials and affected its delivery schedule in several locations.
The council’s explanation follows complaints from candidates in parts of Oyo, Lagos and Osun states who wrote Mathematics and Agricultural Science papers late into the evening last week due to delays in the arrival of question papers and answer booklets.
In some centres, students reportedly completed their examinations under torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar-powered lamps after the papers commenced well after sunset.
WAEC said preliminary findings showed that the delays were not caused by a single factor but by a combination of challenges, including the fatal accident, security concerns in some regions, issues related to examination arrangements and the late registration of candidates.
“The delay was caused by a combination of logistical and operational challenges, notably the direct result of a devastating motor accident on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, which tragically claimed the lives of three of our dedicated personnel who were transporting sensitive examination materials interstate.
“This heartbreaking loss, coupled with prevailing regional security challenges, severely compromised our distribution schedule, which inadvertently led to the delayed start times.
“While we mourned our fallen colleagues, our team of indefatigable staff worked around the clock to deploy emergency contingency measures to ensure that the examination was still conducted in the affected areas.”
The council expressed sadness over the loss of its staff and said emergency measures were immediately activated to minimise disruptions and ensure the examinations went ahead despite the circumstances.
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