The Oyo State Government has expressed concern over the delays recorded in the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The position of the government was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who conveyed the concerns raised by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola.
Olayiwola said the state government was disturbed by reports that some examination papers commenced far behind the timetable released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), leaving candidates stranded for several hours at examination centres.
He disclosed that findings by the ministry showed that examination materials meant for papers scheduled on Thursday, June 4, 2026, failed to arrive at several centres across the state at the expected time.
The commissioner stated that Government (Objective) and Agricultural Science (Practical) question papers reportedly reached many centres at about 6:30 p.m., creating difficulties for candidates and disrupting the conduct of the examinations.
Olayiwola revealed that as of 8:11 p.m. on Thursday, some centres in Ogbomoso and Saki were still writing the Government (Objective) paper, while the Agricultural Science Practical examination had yet to begin.
He also recalled a similar development on June 3, when Mathematics (Objective) question papers were reportedly supplied in inadequate quantities to some centres, leading to delays that stretched examination activities late into the night.
According to him, officials of the Ministry of Education contacted the WAEC Zonal Coordinator, who attributed the situation to logistical challenges.
While noting that WAEC operates as an international examination body outside the direct control of the state government, Olayiwola urged the council to take steps to prevent a repeat of the incidents.
The commissioner added that the state government would continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure favourable conditions for teaching, learning and assessment, while protecting the welfare and academic progress of students across the state.