Students at Unity Modern School in Asaba, Delta State, were forced to write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) using phone torchlights on Thursday following a shocking four-hour delay in the delivery of exam papers and the absence of electricity.
The exam, scheduled for 2 p.m., reportedly didn’t begin until 6 p.m., plunging the hall into near darkness. A viral video from the scene showed invigilators holding up torchlights as students struggled to write their answers.
A voice in the footage lamented, “The paper that was supposed to start by 2 p.m., they brought it by 6 p.m. No electricity in the school. So, the students are using torchlights to write the WAEC exam in Unity Modern School, Asaba — not in a village, but in the state capital!”
Shockingly, the school is said to be less than a kilometre away from the WAEC office in Asaba.
Reacting on Friday, Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, condemned the situation and revealed that she had contacted WAEC officials to address the issue. “WAEC exams are not state exams but federal,” she said. “However, I told them not to stress our students. Imagine students returning home late at night — it’s unacceptable.”
Human rights activist and Convener of the #OperationSaveNigerianChildrenCampaign, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, also criticized the ordeal, describing it as “disgraceful and a clear violation of children’s rights.”
“These students, some as young as 15, were subjected to inhumane conditions — a four-hour delay and forced to write in the dark without power,” Aghogho said. “It’s a blatant failure of Nigeria’s education system and a violation of the Child Rights Act, 2003.”
As criticism mounts, WAEC is yet to issue an official response.
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