The West African Examinations Council has linked the delayed start of some papers in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination to a fatal crash involving its officials, as well as mounting security concerns and administrative bottlenecks.

In a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, the council confirmed that three officials died in a collision along the Gombe–Yola highway while transporting sensitive examination materials between states. The accident, WAEC said, disrupted a tightly timed distribution chain and triggered a cascade of delays across multiple examination centres.

The impact was most visible in parts of Oyo, Lagos and Osun states, where candidates writing Mathematics and Agricultural Science were kept waiting for hours. In several schools, the papers did not begin until after nightfall, forcing students to rely on torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar lamps to complete their scripts. In some centres, candidates moved outside their classrooms to make use of any available light.

WAEC described the crash as a devastating blow to its operations and to the families of the deceased officials, noting that the tragedy struck at a critical point in the movement of question papers and answer booklets. While mourning its staff, the council said teams were immediately redeployed and emergency plans activated to salvage the examination timetable in affected areas.

Preliminary findings, according to the council, show that the accident coincided with other pressures on the system. These included unresolved issues around the final mode of conducting the examination, late registration of candidates that slowed the production and packaging of materials, and security challenges in parts of the country.

WAEC pointed to protests sparked by the abduction of schoolchildren in some communities as another factor that hindered the safe and timely movement of examination consignments. Routes had to be reassessed, escorts arranged and schedules repeatedly adjusted, all of which contributed to the late commencement of papers.

The council insisted that the integrity of the examination was not compromised, stressing that no paper was cancelled and that all registered candidates were eventually examined. It added that the smoother conduct of subsequent papers showed that remedial measures were working.

WAEC said it has now strengthened its logistics, reviewed security protocols and tightened registration timelines to prevent a repeat of the disruptions as the examination continues nationwide.