The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed the delayed conduct of Mathematics and Agricultural Science papers in some centres during the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to a combination of a fatal road accident, security challenges and operational difficulties.
In a statement issued on Monday, WAEC said a tragic motor accident involving officials transporting sensitive examination materials across states on June 3 claimed the lives of three personnel, significantly disrupting its distribution schedule and contributing to the late commencement of examinations in affected centres.
The examination body disclosed that the tragedy occurred amid prevailing security concerns in parts of the country, forcing it to activate emergency contingency measures to ensure candidates were eventually able to sit for the examinations.
It noted that despite the setback, staff worked tirelessly to minimise the impact on candidates and schools.
WAEC also identified delays in finalising examination modalities and the late registration of candidates as factors that affected the timely production and distribution of examination materials.
In addition, mass protests triggered by the abduction of schoolchildren in some areas further hampered logistics and the movement of examination materials.
Responding to public concerns over the incident, the Council assured candidates, parents and other stakeholders that measures had been put in place to prevent a recurrence during the remainder of the examination period.
According to WAEC, the effectiveness of the new arrangements was evident in the smooth conduct of examinations held on June 5.
The Council expressed appreciation to the Federal and State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police and other security agencies for their support in ensuring the successful conduct of the examinations despite the challenges.
Reaffirming its commitment to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the WASSCE, WAEC said it remains focused on delivering examinations that meet the highest standards of academic and administrative excellence.
