WAEC staff plan protest over recruitment and pay policy disputes

Employees of the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) plan to commence a three‑day protest over what they describe as management highhandedness, illegal recruitment and the imposition of pay policies.

The industrial action is slated to begin on Wednesday at the council’s headquarters in Lagos and is expected to spread to WAEC’s regional and state offices across the country.

The protest is being coordinated by the Non‑Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), which alleges that WAEC management has made unilateral decisions, violated seniority principles and taken punitive administrative measures against staff.

In a letter dated May 5, signed by NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the union outlined its grievances and gave management a seven‑day ultimatum to resolve the issues before the strike proceeds.

The concerns listed include the suspension of staff upgrade programmes, the alleged imposition of a minimum net‑pay policy, the formation of investigative panels without staff consultation, recruitment problems and changes to the WASSCE examination structure.

NASU said its members voted unanimously to go ahead with the protest after the ultimatum expired, following an online meeting of its branches nationwide.

The union warned that the industrial action could be escalated if management does not meet its demands.

WAEC management responded on May 8, denying several of the accusations and asserting that it operates within the established conditions of service while remaining responsive to staff concerns.

The council clarified that certain policy decisions, such as the adjustment of the WASSCE duration, were made in accordance with directives from the Federal Ministry of Education.

WAEC also stated that it had suspended the proposed minimum net‑pay policy and that grievance procedures are in place for staff to seek redress.

While the examination body assures that the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will be conducted without disruption for 1,959,636 candidates in 24,207 schools, the impending protest raises concerns about possible interruptions.

This is not the first industrial action by WAEC workers; similar protests in 2024 disrupted operations at several Lagos offices.

At the time of this report, WAEC had not issued an official comment on the planned protest.

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