WASSCE delays a damning indictment on Nigeria’s education system, says Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the late commencement of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) on Wednesday.

Candidates at several exam centres in Nigeria experienced delays in writing the English Language paper on Wednesday.

At multiple locations, the exam, scheduled to begin at 9 am, did not commence until midday.

In some centres, the last paper did not start until nightfall, with students in Lagos reportedly still writing as late as 11:45 pm under torchlight.

In a statement on Thursday, Abubakar said it is “nothing short of a national disgrace” for students to sit for the examination in unfit conditions, just a day after the world marked International Children’s Day.

He said the incident was a “damning indictment” of Nigeria’s systemic failure to uphold the most basic standards in public education.

“It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness like second-class citizens,” the statement reads.

“This incident must awaken our national conscience. It must compel immediate and sustained investment in critical social infrastructure, with education as the foremost priority — not in rhetoric but in tangible action.”

Abubakar demanded that the affected paper be retaken in all compromised centres as anything less would be a “grave injustice” to the students.

“Examination preparedness is a shared responsibility between students and the examination authorities. In this case, it is glaringly evident that the latter have failed spectacularly in their duty. It would be utterly unjust to allow students to suffer the consequences of such gross institutional negligence,” the statement reads.

“Going forward, it is imperative that relevant authorities establish and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for all high-stakes national examinations. We must never allow such a shameful scenario to repeat itself — not under our watch.”