In a video that recently went viral, students were seen writing an exam with torchlights. One woman, unable to remain silent in the face of such absurdity, raised the alarm over what she described as an eyesore.
The incident reportedly occurred at Unity Model School, Asaba, Delta State. The English Language paper, scheduled for 2:00 p.m., was allegedly delivered at 6:00 p.m., forcing helpless students who had no voice of their own to sit for the exam late into the night.
Again, on Wednesday, May 28, students across the country were seen in classrooms at night in viral clips — not keeping vigil, but writing WAEC.
The Nation reported that candidates in Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Benue, and Taraba states, among others, sat their exams until about 9:00 p.m. on average, and close to midnight in Taraba in particular.
In most places, centres were illuminated with phone torches and other makeshift lamps to enable the pupils to write the examination under a blanket of darkness.
It was a national debacle, to say the least.
Some clutched candles. Others strained under the flicker of phone torchlights — all seated under poor lighting conditions.
Let’s start with the basics: why do most WAEC centres across the country still lack adequate infrastructure? How does an exam centre have no electricity?
The incident triggered widespread outrage among candidates, parents, and members of the public, leading to viral posts and emotional testimonies. Some parents reportedly waited outside until midnight for their children to finish the exam.
The WAEC spokesperson attributed the delay to a measure aimed at curbing examination malpractice. But that excuse rings hollow. Why should innocent children be subjected to danger in a country battling widespread insecurity — in the name of anti-cheating?
Why was accreditation granted to centres that couldn’t even provide basic lighting?
This episode exposes critical weaknesses within WAEC’s operations and the broader education sector. Yet, the Ministry of Education seems focused on chasing minor issues while ignoring foundational problems.
Recently, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that Nigeria plans to transition WAEC and other national exams to Computer Based Testing (CBT) by 2026. He described the move as a way to reduce exam malpractice and restore the integrity of our assessments.
While this sounds progressive, it requires thorough planning and robust systems.
In our public tertiary institutions today, CBT exams are often marred by technical failures — missing scripts, system crashes, and unresponsive software — all pointing to poor infrastructure and inadequate preparation.
Nigeria Education News recently reported that a student of FUTA reportedly fainted at a CBT centre after a staff member allegedly used a belt to control the surging crowd. Students who sat for the exams shared their frustration, exhaustion, and dismay over what they say is a recurring issue of poor planning and mismanagement during high-volume exam periods.
Victoria, a recent graduate of LAUTECH, also had something to say about CBT:
“Throughout 200 level, I had mostly As and Bs, except one course I had a carryover — thanks to CBT. That carryover cost me a distinction.”
A recent example says it all. On May 14, 2025, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that server glitches disrupted the upload of exam responses in 157 out of 887 centres, compromising the results of nearly 380,000 candidates. Billions of naira went into planning, yet a server issue almost threw the entire process off course.
It’s important to note that CBT has its flaws too — it’s not flawless.
JAMB’s CBT system wasn’t built overnight. The journey began in 2013 with optional testing, followed by pilot phases, stakeholder consultations, training, public sensitization, and the accreditation of centres nationwide. Full adoption came only in 2015.
If WAEC and other national exams are to be digitized by 2026, the Ministry of Education must first prove that Nigeria is ready.
Frankly, it’s laughable to propose a digital WAEC when, in 2025, many exam centres lack chairs — let alone functioning computers or backup power.
While the digital initiative is commendable and may help combat malpractice, it must be preceded by practical groundwork:
-Consult stakeholders (public and private)
-Audit and accredit centres
-Withdraw accreditation from schools that don’t meet basic requirements
Not all schools are at the same level of readiness. In fact, what most urgently need today are textbooks, furniture, libraries, and safe learning environments — not servers.
Let’s also remember that several internationally recognized high-stakes exams are still paper based:
-China’s Gaokao is paper based and used for university admission
– A-levels (Cambridge, UK) remain paper based
-CBSE and ISC in India, recognized by top global universities, are also traditional written exams
Instead of racing to digitize for headlines, let’s fix our schools first — especially those in rural communities that lack even the bare minimum.
As the Yoruba proverb wisely says:
“Ó fi ẹ̀tẹ̀ sílẹ̀, ó ń pa lápálàpà.”
“He abandoned leprosy and is killing eczema.”
It’s a warning: when we ignore foundational problems and focus on superficial ones, everything eventually crumbles
