Widespread outrage has erupted across Nigeria after disturbing reports and images surfaced showing secondary school students writing their West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams at night some as late as 10 p.m. under candlelight and phone torchlights due to poor planning and inadequate facilities.
The images, now viral on social media, show students hunched over exam papers in dimly lit classrooms, struggling to write in near darkness. In some schools, candles were the only source of light, while others relied on students’ mobile phone torches.
Parents and civil society groups have condemned the situation, calling it a gross violation of children’s rights and a national disgrace.
“No child should be writing exams in the dark or in the middle of the night this is injustice in plain sight,” said a concerned parent in Kaduna. “With the high rate of kidnappings and insecurity in the country, allowing our children to be out this late is beyond irresponsible. The government has failed us.”
In some states, particularly in rural or under-resourced communities, the WAEC timetable and delays in starting papers have led to students finishing their exams dangerously late, without power supply or proper supervision.
Another parent in Kogi State expressed fear and anger: “How do you explain children writing exams by 10 p.m. with candles in a country like Nigeria? We’re risking their futures and their lives at the same time.”
Security analysts have also raised concerns, warning that lateness exposes students and teachers to increased risks of kidnapping, robbery, and assault, especially in areas plagued by banditry and insurgency.
Despite growing outcry, there has been no official response from WAEC or the Ministry of Education at the time of this report.
