By our Reporter
Workers in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria have begun a three- day nationwide protest showing their grievances over unresolved welfare issues and alleged unfair labour policies.
The protest, organised by the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), commenced at the WAEC national office in Yaba, Lagos, as early as 8:00 a.m.on Wednesday with simultaneous actions taking place at regional and state offices nationwide.
The protest follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by the national leadership of NASU to WAEC management regarding nine critical issues, including alleged shady recruitment practices and poor staff welfare.
Meanwhile, WAEC Nigeria, just like four other member countries- Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia-is currently conducting this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) with a total of 1,959,636 candidates across 24,207 schools participating nationwide.
On the conduct of the exam, the Head of National Office of the organisation in Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, briefed the media on Monday in Lagos, expressing confidence for a hitch-free exam and with a strong promise to prevent the repeat of exam gliches that characterised last year’s edition, where some
students wrote their English language paper in the odd hours.
However, the nine contentious issues raised by the protesting workers are contained in a letter issued by NASU national body to the Head of National Office of WAEC Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut and dated Tuesday, 5 May.
Signed by NASU’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the letter was titled: “Re: A Call For Immediate Stop to the Shady Recruitment Interview Practices,” and warned that workers would embark on a three- day protest if failed to address those concerns within seven days.
The letter reads 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 same, which we shared with our Branch Executive Officers.
“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 resolution.”
Speaking on the protest, the Chairman of NASU-WAEC, Mr. Kayode Ogunyade, told Nigerian Tribune, on Wednesday, that the warning protest—scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon each day for three days—is designed to encourage management to return to the roundtable with the union to iron out their differences.
Ogunyade, however, declared that further actions by the union if the management did not do anything on the matter after three days protest would be dictated by the national body of NASU.
Reacting, the Head of National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, expressed surprise that the workers could embark on the protest when discussion was still ongoing with the management.
He told Nigerian Tribune that what surprised him most was that they met just last Friday, where they “trashed out” most of the contentious issues, except for two that required more time.
He pointed out that the national leadership of NASU were part of the meeting and the management pleaded for more time to enable it looks deeply into all the issues raised together for the purpose of addressing them.
“That is why I am surprised that they could still stay a protest on the same issues after all that.”
He said one of the issues raised by the union was its position against the reduction in this year’s exam period.
He said, based on the reduction in the number of subjects that candidates would be examined this year, which has reduced from 76 to 37, the council also reduced the period the exam would last.
But the union, according to him, still wants the exam to last for a longer period as it used to when 76 subjects were involved.
“So, there is no need for any protest,” he concluded.
