Secondary school students in Kwara State taking the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) English paper faced challenges with inadequate lighting due to power cuts and insecurity, forcing some to rely on mobile phone flashlights to complete the test.

The Guardian reports that the exam began as late as 7 p.m. in some schools, concluding at 9 p.m., while others held it between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Unverified claims of question leaks in certain areas reportedly delayed the start of the exam, though these have yet to be confirmed.

Findings revealed that students in blackout-affected areas and insecure zones, such as schools in Adewole, Ilorin, had to write under dim conditions. Mubarak Akande, brother of a candidate, told The Guardian he visited his sister's school around 7p.m. and was shocked to find students taking the exam in near darkness.

While narrating his experience, Akande, who resides in the Olorunsogo area of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, said he saw the students sitting in a dark classroom using flashlights from their phones to write the exams.

"I got to the school and saw all the students writing exams with flashlights and headlamps. The school was not properly illuminated. Imagine anyone with a sight defect there. I'm really livid," he said.

Many X users have taken to the microblogging platform to knock the examination board for conducting exams in the dark.

One X user wrote, " Students in Nigeria are currently writing their WAEC exams under terrible conditions. Today, the English paper, which began at 8:00 pm, is being conducted. Some students were reportedly asked to bring rechargeable lights to continue the exam. The exam is still on. This is 9:33pm."

"WAEC is keeping teenage students for hours now, waiting like fools, till now English papers is yet to arrive. In 2025. In Nigeria. This is beyond incompetence. It is disgraceful. Heads must roll. Someone must be held accountable. We won't keep normalizing this madness," another X user wrote.

The examination conducting body has not released a statement regarding this at the time of filing this report.

In April, The Guardian reported that many candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) risked their safety by leaving their homes before dawn to sit for their 6:30 am exams.