WAEC workers stage a nationwide protest

Workers at the Nigerian office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will begin a three-day nationwide protest against allegations of unfair labor practices, disputed recruitment procedures and other welfare concerns at the exam body.

The protest, organized by the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), is expected to begin on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at the WAEC national headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, and spread to regional and state offices across the country.

The industrial action comes just 48 hours after WAEC announced its readiness to conduct a seamless and technology-driven West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) 2026 examination for 1,959,636 candidates in 24,207 schools nationwide.

According to union sources, the protest was initially scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 12, but was moved to Wednesday after unsuccessful attempts to reach an agreement with management.

In a letter addressed to the head of the national office, Dr Amos Dangut, NASU accused the management of several actions described as anti-worker policies and administrative irregularities.

The union listed grievances including the suspension of a recent staff refresher programme, the introduction of a net minimum pay policy, the unilateral establishment of investigative panels, alleged disregard for seniority in appointments, disciplinary action against staff and concerns over recruitment procedures involving examination officers and examination assistants.

NASU said its branches nationwide had unanimously agreed to proceed with the warning protest after management allegedly failed to address issues raised by the union.

Part of the union’s position, according to the letter, was that unresolved issues continued to generate tension among workers and required urgent intervention to maintain industrial harmony within the council.

Responding to the allegations, WAEC management denied any wrongdoing and maintained that many of the concerns had already been addressed.

In a response signed on behalf of the Head of National Office by the Director of Administration, Mrs Eucharia Onodu, the council said the minimum net salary balance policy had already been suspended.

The WAEC also defended the reduction in the duration of the WASSCE, explaining that the adjustment followed the directives of the Federal Ministry of Education in line with the subject realignment measures.

On disciplinary matters, the board said that all actions taken against staff members were guided by the organisation’s conditions of service and established administrative procedures.

The review body also maintained that management remained committed to legally engaging with staff unions and internal dispute resolution mechanisms.

The latest development is not the first labor dispute involving WAEC workers in recent years.

Similar protests were recorded in 2024 at council offices in Yaba, Ogba and Ikorodu areas of Lagos State.

At the time of filing this report, WAEC management had not yet released any further official statement regarding the planned protest.