The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies chastised the West African Examinations Council’s management on Monday in response to the significant anomalies and operational difficulties that marked the 2025 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.
Lawmakers questioned Dr. Amos Dangut, the head of WAEC, Nigeria, during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly, claiming that systemic flaws had damaged public trust in Nigeria’s examination procedure.
Following several complaints of anomalies and operational breakdowns during the ongoing nationwide examination, the body has come under heavy fire.
Parents, students, and education specialists are among the stakeholders who have voiced serious worries about the exam’s integrity being compromised by poor management, security flaws, and logistical errors.
These issues have sparked calls for immediate reforms to restore public confidence and ensure a fair, transparent examination system.
Opening the session, the chairman of the committee, Oforji Oboku (PDP, Yenagoa/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Bayelsa State), launched a sharp rebuke of the council’s performance, while commending his colleagues for prioritising the oversight meeting despite the parliament not being in session.
“This gathering reflects our collective resolve to restore dignity and credibility to our examination system.
“On behalf of this committee, I offer an unreserved apology to Nigerian parents, guardians, and candidates who suffered the chaos of the last examination cycle. We are committed to ensuring this never happens again,” he said.
Recalling an earlier meeting with WAEC on May 30, Oboku described as appalling the revelations that students in several centres were compelled to sit for the examination under extreme conditions, including late-night sessions lit by torchlights.
“It is unacceptable that in 2025, students are sitting for exams at 11 pm under torchlight. This is not just a failure of logistics, it is a failure of leadership,” he added.
Although he emphasized that the committee’s probe was not a witch-hunt, the Bayelsa lawmaker insisted on getting to the root of the council’s inefficiencies.
“We must identify the underlying causes of these repeated failures, address them decisively, and hold those responsible to account,” he stated.
Lawmakers expressed their annoyance at what they characterised as WAEC’s habitual negligence and lack of planning, which caused the session to become rowdy.
“Admit your failure to the Nigerian people. If you need to cry, go ahead. But when you’re done, tender your resignation,” an unidentified lawmaker shouted.
Lawmakers also criticised Dr Dangut’s assertion that WAEC would roll out computer-based testing centres nationwide by 2026.
“You talk of CBT readiness, yet many local governments lack a single CBT centre.
“That’s like saying you own a car and a driver, but there’s no road. It’s fantasy, not capacity,” Oforji added.
The committee convened a national education conference in order to evaluate the actual condition of secondary school infrastructure nationwide.
Beyond infrastructure, committee members expressed concern over the damage WAEC’s shortcomings had done to Nigeria’s reputation throughout West Africa.
Defending the council, Dr Dangut cited unforeseen logistical challenges and insecurity in parts of the country.
His explanations were, however, repeatedly interrupted, with lawmakers dismissing the excuses as inadequate and unacceptable.
The committee concluded by passing a resolution requiring WAEC to provide a thorough audit of its digital infrastructure, with a focus on underserved areas, as well as a comprehensive roadmap on its preparedness for CBT.
The committee also directed the council to furnish the National Assembly with its full operational guidelines and all reports relating to examination paper leakages.
In his closing remarks, Oforji said, “This is a defining moment. We must insist on competence, honesty, and reform.
“Education is too critical to be managed by trial and error. The future of our children, and our nation, is at stake.”
