The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed the delayed conduct of some papers in the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to a mix of logistical and operational challenges, including a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of three of its staff members.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, WAEC said the incident occurred on June 3 along the Gombe–Yola highway when officials transporting sensitive examination materials were involved in a collision with a truck.
The council said the tragedy disrupted its nationwide distribution schedule, leading to delays in delivering examination materials to several centres.
The explanation follows reports from candidates in parts of Oyo, Lagos and Osun states who sat for Mathematics and Agricultural Science papers late into the evening due to the late arrival of question papers and answer booklets.
At some centres, candidates were forced to continue writing after dark using torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar-powered lamps, with examinations reportedly starting well after 8 pm.
WAEC said preliminary findings showed that the disruption was caused by multiple factors, including the fatal accident, security challenges in certain regions, difficulties in finalising examination logistics, and 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,” the statement read.
WAEC added that despite the setback and the loss of its staff, emergency contingency measures were activated to ensure the affected examinations were still conducted.
