Controversy over the conduct of WASSCE in parts of the country made headlines in May, after students in Taraba and Ogun and other states were made to sit for exams at night.
The President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Yomi Otubela, has criticised the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) during nighttime hours, describing it as unacceptable and detrimental to performance.
Otubela, who made a guest appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, cited reports of students writing exams under candlelight and torchlight in some states, warning that such conditions undermine academic outcomes.
“We cannot overrule the fact that the condition in which the examination was written in some states is not acceptable to us. The fact that children were writing exams late into the night with candles and torchlights cannot be a standard that will allow us to have commendable results,” he said on Wednesday.
The NAPPS president commended students who managed to perform despite the harsh conditions, attributing the significant dip in pass rate to systemic issues within the country’s education sector.
Some WASSCE candidates in Taraba State sit for their exam at night on May 28, 2025“I must commend children who, in spite of all the economic hardship and other challenges in preparing for the exam, came out with commendable results.
“Overall, I think there is a challenge in our educational system at the moment. Both private and government stakeholders need a more robust working relationship to identify where the challenges lie and proffer lasting solutions,” he said.
Controversy over the conduct of WASSCE in parts of the country made headlines in May, after students in Taraba and Ogun states and others were made to sit for exams at night.
On May 29, the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Amos Dangut, apologised on The Morning Brief, explaining that the council acted on intelligence about a potential compromise of a paper, which necessitated emergency changes and led to the delays.
Dangut described the development as regrettable and assured the public that steps had been taken to prevent a recurrence.
Inadequate Investment, Underfunding
Otubela’s comments also come after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released the 2025 WASSCE results on Monday, showing a sharp decline in performance.
According to the body, 1,718,090 candidates out of the 1,969,313 who sat the exams, received their results.
Students taking the WASSCE
Only 38.32% of candidates obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, a significant drop from the 72.12% recorded in 2024.
Citing the sharp decline in results, Otubela attributed it to persistent challenges in the education sector, highlighting inadequate investment in teacher development and underfunding as major contributing factors.
“The Head of National Office reported that the pass rate stood at about 38 per cent, the worst in about 15 years, from 2015 to date. The reason for this cannot be far-fetched from the many challenges facing education in our country.
“We have not paid sufficient attention to the capacity building of our teachers. In a few months, we’ll be celebrating World Teachers’ Day, yet there is little evidence of investment in teacher training to enhance mentoring of students,” he said.
The Private Schools Proprietors’ president also highlighted infrastructural deficits and poor digital access, especially in rural communities.
“The budgetary allocation to education falls short of the recommended UNESCO benchmark. Many children in rural areas have little or no access to computers, and they study in non-conducive environments. This points to a wide gap between classroom experience and actual learning outcomes,” Otubela stated.
