Teachers, students, parents worry about impact on candidates’ performance
As the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) continues nationwide, fear and uncertainty have grown over the persistent abduction of students and teachers, which has cast a dark shadow over the ongoing examination.
Teachers, parents and students who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend are worried that the insecurity may affect the participation and performance of over 1.9 million candidates currently sitting for the examination in more than 24,000 centres across the country.
The 2026 WASSCE commenced on 21 April 2026 with practical papers and will end on 19 June 2026.
The concerns come amid two unresolved school abduction incidents in Borno and Oyo States, where dozens of pupils, students and teachers remain in captivity more than 20 days after they were kidnapped.
The incidents, according to stakeholders who spoke to our correspondent, have reignited fears about the safety of learning environments and raised fresh questions about students’ ability to concentrate on their examinations under such circumstances.
Leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and others have said the psychological impact of repeated school attacks extends far beyond the affected communities.
According to them, even candidates writing examinations in relatively safe locations may be distracted by fears for their own security, with many constantly worrying that their schools could become the next target.
With WAEC examinations still ongoing, stakeholders have urged the federal and state governments to take urgent measures to secure schools, rescue those still in captivity and restore confidence in the education system before the crisis leaves lasting scars on a generation of learners.
As of the time of this report, two major school abduction cases involving pupils, students and teachers remain unresolved in Borno and Oyo States, with the victims still in the custody of their abductors.
In Borno State, suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents attacked Government Day Secondary School and nearby primary schools in Mussa community, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, on 16 May 2026.
During the attack, 42 pupils and students were reportedly abducted. As of the time of this report, none of the victims had been officially rescued or released, meaning they had spent 19 days in captivity.
Following the incident, the Borno State Government ordered the closure and relocation of the affected school.
Similarly, gunmen struck in Ogbomoso on 15 May 2026, attacking Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele; Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School; and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
About 46 people, comprising 39 pupils and students and seven teachers, were abducted during the raid. Meanwhile, no official rescue or release had been announced as of the time of this report, indicating that the victims had spent 20 days in captivity.
The schools whose pupils, students and teachers are still being held by terrorists or armed kidnappers are Government Day Secondary School and neighbouring primary schools in Mussa, Askira/Uba LGA of Borno State, where 42 children remain missing, and schools in Ahoro-Esinele community, Oriire LGA of Oyo State, where 39 pupils and students, alongside seven teachers, are still in captivity.
Commenting on the implications of persistent insecurity on the ongoing WAEC examinations, the Principal Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ogun State chapter, Mr Samson Oyelere, warned that the situation could significantly affect candidates’ performance.
“It is going to affect students’ performance because unabated fear, trauma and displacement directly kill focus and concentration.
“Candidates writing WAEC under the shadow of abductions will underperform due to anxiety, sleeplessness and broken study time,” he said.
Oyelere warned that repeated school abductions could have devastating long-term consequences for education in Nigeria.
“This act will lead to mass school dropouts, education migration to safer locations and loss of trust. Parents will keep their children, especially girls, at home. Nigeria risks producing an entire lost generation with low literacy and skills,” he warned.
To restore confidence, he urged the government to deploy trained security personnel to schools, establish rapid response teams, prosecute abductors swiftly and provide psychosocial support for affected students.
“Confidence returns when children are safe, not when promises are made,” he stressed.
Speaking on the subject, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Akinteye Afeez, said examinations should continue but called on governments at all levels to strengthen security around schools.
“We feel that WAEC examinations should still go on, but we are calling on the federal government, state governments and local governments to ensure security and protect the lives of students. That will give them confidence and enable them to focus on their examinations,” he said.
Afeez similarly warned that continued school abductions could weaken confidence in the education system and discourage learning in rural communities.
He added, “Nigerian students may no longer trust the system. People might prefer attending schools in safer urban areas rather than in villages where the masses can access education.
“Government should establish security checkpoints around schools and strengthen preventive security measures rather than reacting after incidents occur.”
He also disclosed that NANS officials were currently in Oyo State and working towards securing the release of the kidnapped students.
On her part, NANS National Treasurer, Comrade Idris Asmau, expressed concern over the safety of candidates participating in the ongoing examinations.
“The truth is that I don’t think it is safe for students. There is a need for proper security, and the government should prioritise the lives of these children before examinations,” she said.
Asmau lamented that school abductions had persisted for years despite national outrage, warning that the country’s education sector could face a bleak future if decisive action was not taken.
“Teachers may no longer be willing to teach in schools, while many could seek opportunities outside the country. Our education system is going to suffer seriously if this continues,” she warned.
A parent, Mrs Theresa Christopher, whose daughter is writing the WAEC examination at Federal Government Girls’ College, Gboko, Benue State, said the government must do everything possible to restore confidence among students and ensure perpetrators of school attacks are punished.
“Even students in schools that are not directly affected will be afraid because many things will be going through their minds. That psychological pressure can affect their performance,” she said.
According to her, tackling school insecurity should become a national priority.
“If we are serious about the education sector in this country, everything needs to be grounded to tackle this issue,” she added.
The President of the NANS Senate, Comrade Moses Ibeabuchi, concurred that insecurity would inevitably affect students’ academic performance.
“When students know that schools are being attacked in different parts of the country, they become unsettled. Even in the examination hall, many will be worried about their safety. That fear alone can affect performance,” he said.
Ibeabuchi warned that prolonged insecurity could discourage teachers from attending classrooms and ultimately weaken the nation’s educational foundation.
He urged the government to guarantee the safety of lives and property and engage security experts to protect schools and campuses across the country.
“I have confidence in our security agencies. They only need the right support, orientation and encouragement to tackle the challenge effectively,” he said.
Another respondent who did not want her name published warned the Nigerian government against falling into the game plan of the terrorists.
“When the whole thing started with Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorists made it clear that their ultimate agenda was to abolish Western education and replace it with Islamic teaching. Now they are consistently attacking schools and striking fear into the hearts of pupils, students and teachers. Aren’t they on the way to achieving their goal of discouraging people from going to school?
“The Nigerian government must take the fight against terrorists as a priority above everything else in order to save and protect the next generation,” she said.
