Lantern Light and Flashlights: Nigerian Students Endure WAEC English Exam in Near Total Darkness [VIDEOS]

 

A disheartening video circulating on social media has ignited widespread concern across Nigeria, spotlighting the stark realities facing students during the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The footage, shared by a user identified as #Omolomo_o on X (formerly Twitter), reveals students bent over their desks, struggling to complete their English Language paper in near-total darkness.

Captured at approximately 9:42 p.m., the scene shows the examination hall lit not by electric bulbs, but by flickering lanterns and the harsh glare of mobile phone flashlights. The candidates appear hunched and weary, their shadows cast long across the room as they attempt to concentrate under less-than-ideal conditions. The viral video is accompanied by a caption that reads: “This is a WAEC examination centre in Nigeria. They are writing WAEC right now. It is 9:42 p.m., and students are forced to use lamps to write their English exam in total darkness.”

The footage has stirred outrage among Nigerians, many of whom are questioning how such conditions could be deemed acceptable for a high-stakes national examination. English Language, a core subject and a requirement for tertiary education in the country, is crucial for students’ academic progression. The idea that such a significant paper would be written in the absence of basic infrastructure like electricity has sparked condemnation, with calls for accountability echoing across digital platforms.

Critics argue that this incident underscores the long-standing infrastructural deficits plaguing the education sector. Several users on social media have decried the situation as a shameful reflection of governance failures, particularly in providing reliable power and conducive learning environments.

While no official statement has yet been issued by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) regarding the video, education stakeholders and civil society groups are beginning to weigh in. Some have demanded an immediate investigation into how an examination centre could be allowed to operate under such circumstances. Others have called for systemic reforms to ensure that no student is ever again placed in such a compromising position during a national exam.

The issue of erratic power supply in Nigeria is not new, but its impact on education continues to evolve in disturbing ways. Although many urban schools have resorted to using generators or solar panels to offset power outages, rural and underfunded centres are often left without such alternatives. The result is a dual educational experience—one for the privileged, and another for those forced to navigate darkness, both literal and metaphorical.

Parents of students who sat for the exam at the affected centre have expressed concern over the possible impact on performance. “My daughter came home in tears,” said one parent from the local community. “She could barely see her question paper. This is unacceptable.”

Teachers and school administrators, often themselves victims of the same systemic neglect, have also voiced frustrations. One teacher, who asked not to be named, remarked, “How can we expect excellence from children we refuse to support with the most basic necessities? Light, table, chair—these are not luxuries.”

The viral video has become a rallying point for conversations on educational inequality, infrastructure decay, and the urgent need for reform. While the immediate concern lies in the potential invalidation or disadvantage faced by students who wrote under those conditions, the broader issue points to a larger crisis—one where the promise of education is repeatedly dimmed by neglect and poor planning.

As the 2025 WASSCE continues across the region, all eyes will be on WAEC and education authorities to address these concerns swiftly and transparently. For the students captured in that video, their determination may be commendable, but the conditions they endured should never be normalized.

Without urgent intervention, stories like this risk becoming less of a viral outrage and more of a tragic norm.

VIDEO: WAEC candidates write exams in darkness due to power outage

A concerning video has emerged showing students taking the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) under extremely poor conditions, with no electricity available during their English… pic.twitter.com/7i2nCptrkQ

— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) May 29, 2025