Torchlight and Darkness: Nigeria's Unity Model School Students Write WAEC Exams at Night [VIDEO]

 

Students believed to be from Unity Model School, located in Asaba, Delta State, were thrust into an unusual and troubling examination scenario after they were forced to sit for one of their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) papers late in the evening under torchlight due to a delay in receiving the exam materials.

A video capturing the incident, filmed by an unidentified woman who appeared to be on the school premises, has stirred public outrage. In the video, she expressed disbelief and frustration over what she described as a gross failure of responsibility by examination officials.

Originally scheduled for 2:00 p.m., the exam papers reportedly did not arrive until four hours later, pushing the students into a race against time as daylight faded. By the time they began the test, darkness had fallen, and the school—lacking functional electricity—had to improvise with handheld lights to keep the room illuminated.

The video, which has circulated widely on social media, shows a dimly lit classroom with students hunched over their desks, attempting to complete their paper under the weak glow of torchlight. The woman behind the camera, audibly distressed, criticized the officials' handling of the situation, saying, "It's not OK," as she scanned the poorly lit room with her camera.

Drawing a comparison to her own school days, she recalled an era when lanterns were a norm but never used during exams. "Even during our time, we didn’t write exams under lanterns. How can this be happening now?" she lamented.

This incident raises serious concerns about the preparedness and coordination of WAEC officials as well as the infrastructural deficits in many Nigerian public schools. Critics have also pointed out the psychological toll such disruptions can have on students already facing the high-pressure environment of external examinations.

Many are questioning how such a delay—reportedly four hours long—could occur without intervention or accountability. Others are calling for an investigation into why the school lacked backup power options, knowing it was serving as a WAEC center.

No official statement has yet been released by WAEC or Delta State education authorities regarding the delay or the conditions under which the exam was administered. However, education stakeholders and concerned citizens are demanding answers, urging both the state government and WAEC to address the incident urgently and ensure it is not repeated.

As the video continues to gain attention, it has reignited broader conversations about the state of education infrastructure in Nigeria, especially in public schools. For the affected students, the experience is one they are unlikely to forget—an exam not only testing academic knowledge, but resilience in the face of institutional failure.