Workers’ unions of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria on Wednesday commenced a three-day nationwide protest over unresolved welfare issues and alleged unfair labour practices.
The protest, organised by the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of Educational and Associated Institutions, began at the WAEC national office in Yaba, Lagos, as early as 8:00 a.m., with parallel actions held at regional and state offices nationwide.
The action followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by NASU national leadership to WAEC management over nine key demands, including alleged irregular recruitment practices and poor staff welfare conditions.
WAEC Nigeria, alongside four other member countries — Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia — is currently conducting the 2026 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination, with 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools participating nationwide.
The Head of National Office of WAEC Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, had on Monday expressed confidence in the smooth conduct of the examination, assuring stakeholders that measures had been put in place to avert a recurrence of the glitches recorded in the 2025 edition, when some candidates reportedly wrote papers late into the night.
The aggrieved workers insisted that the industrial action was unavoidable, citing unresolved grievances with management.
The nine-point demands of the workers were contained in a letter by the NASU national body to Dangut, dated 5 May 2026, by NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the letter was titled, ‘Re: A Call For Immediate Stop to the Shady Recruitment Interview Practices’.
The union warned that workers would embark on the three-day protest if management failed to address the issues within seven days.
The letter read in part, ‘Kindly refer to our letter on the above subject referenced NASU/EBL/88/VOL.XVIII/198 dated 21st March, 2026 and your response to the same, which we shared with our Branch Executive Officers’.
It added, ‘The Branch Executive Officers have expressed concerns that the issues raised in our letter remain unresolved. These have further given rise to additional issues requiring your immediate attention’.
Speaking on the protest, the Chairman of NASU-WAEC, Mr Kayode Ogunyade, said the action, scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon daily for three days, was intended to compel management to return to the negotiation table.
‘The protest is to press home our demands and get management back to the table’, Ogunyade said.
He added that the action was also a warning signal to management over the growing frustrations of workers.
‘If these issues are not addressed, it simply means management is not ready to resolve them’, he warned.
Ogunyade, however, noted that further action after the three-day protest would be determined by NASU national leadership.
Reacting, WAEC, through its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, assured candidates, parents, school owners and stakeholders that the ongoing WASSCE would not be disrupted.
‘The West African Examinations Council wishes to reassure candidates, parents, school owners, stakeholders and the general public of its unwavering commitment to the seamless, hitch-free and successful conduct of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates, 2026’, the statement read.
The council said the examination had continued uninterrupted despite the protest by some categories of workers.
It added that it respects the rights of workers and unions to express grievances within the ambit of the law, stressing that management had taken steps to address the issues raised.
‘The Council, as a law-abiding organisation, respects the rights of unions and staff members to peacefully express their grievances within the ambit of the law’, it said.
WAEC explained that the adjustment in examination days was necessitated by the streamlining of subjects from 76 to 38, adding that the shorter timetable reflected the revised structure and hybrid mode of examination delivery.
It also dismissed allegations of indiscriminate dismissal and unfair sanctions, stating that disciplinary matters were handled in line with its staff handbook and statutory provisions.
‘The assertion of incessant dismissal and disproportionate sanction is not correct’, the council said.
It further explained that the engagement of contract Examination Officers and Assistant Examination Officers was part of measures to manage rising workloads and ensure efficiency across the sub-region.
WAEC added that management was already in dialogue with the union and had put measures in place to ensure that the examination timetable remained undisturbed.
The council urged the public to disregard rumours or misinformation capable of causing panic over the conduct of the examination.
It reaffirmed its commitment to delivering credible and reliable educational assessment services to Nigerian candidates.
