The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has said the delay in the conduct of some papers in the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) was caused by a road accident which killed three of its officials.

The examination body made this known in a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina.

This followed complaints regarding the late commencement of some examination papers in several centres across the country.

Candidates in several centres across Oyo, Lagos and Osun states, last week, wrote Mathematics and Agricultural Science exams late into the evening after delays in the distribution of question papers and answer booklets.

WAEC noted that three officials died last Wednesday in a road accident along the Gombe-Yola highway while transporting sensitive examination materials across states.

It said the sad occurrence led to disruption in the distribution schedule and delay experienced at affected centres.

“The delay was caused by a combination of logistical and operational challenges, notably the direct result of a devastating motor accident on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, which tragically claimed the lives of three of our dedicated personnel who were transporting sensitive examination materials interstate,” WAEC said.

The council stated that the loss of the officials, security and other logistical issues, affected the timely delivery of examination materials.

It said preliminary investigations showed that the disruption also stemmed from challenges related to the finalisation of examination arrangements and the late registration of candidates, which affected the timely production of examination materials.

WAEC added that protests linked to the abduction of schoolchildren in some areas hampered the movement and distribution of examination materials.

“While we mourned our fallen colleagues, our team of indefatigable staff worked around the clock to deploy emergency contingency measures to ensure that the examination was still conducted in the affected areas,” it said.

According to the council, measures had been implemented to prevent a recurrence, adding that subsequent examinations would be seamless.

“The council hereby assures the general public that it has put modalities in place to ensure that the rest of the examination is conducted hitch-free,” it said.

The 2026 May/June WASSCE for school candidates started on April 21 and will end on June 19.