‘HNO Must Go’ — WAEC Workers Declare After 9-Hour Talks End in Deadlock

WAEC Office

‘HNO Must Go’ — WAEC Workers Declare After 9-Hour Talks End in Deadlock

LAGOS— The crisis rocking the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria has taken a dramatic new turn as workers have called for the immediate termination of the appointment of the council’s Head of National Office (HNO), Dr. Amos Dangut, adding a fresh and explosive dimension to their ongoing grievances over unresolved welfare issues and alleged unfair labour practices.

The workers, operating under the aegis of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) , WAEC branch, made the demand at the weekend following a marathon nine-and-a-half-hour meeting between the union’s branch leadership and WAEC management last Thursday. The meeting, which began at approximately 6:30 p.m. and stretched into the early hours of Friday morning, ending around 3:00 a.m., concluded in a deadlock with no resolution on the majority of the workers’ demands.

According to the Chairman of NASU, WAEC branch, Mr. Kayode Ogunyale, in an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Tribune, workers have now resolved that the only path to peace within the examination body is the removal of the HNO. Ogunyale accused Dr. Dangut of being unwilling to address the contentious issues raised by the workers, noting that while their original demands were nine, the list had increased to 12 issues during the course of the agitation.

“But out of the 12 issues,” Ogunyale pointed out, “management only agreed to address five, which are less critical, leaving out the remaining seven.” He emphasized that the deadlock occurred despite the extraordinarily long hours spent in negotiations. “We started the meeting around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and ended around 3:00 a.m. on Friday, with three recesses, yet only five minor issues were addressed,” he added.

Ogunyale stated that the matter should not have degenerated to this level if management had handled it with caution, especially with final-year secondary school students nationwide currently taking their terminal examinations. He noted that the union was initially moderate in its approach to show concern for the students, but management’s unfavourable handling of the issues forced their hand.

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The workers’ demands, which have now expanded, include the suspension of staff upgrade programmes affecting career progression, the introduction of a minimum net pay policy, the formation of disciplinary panels without union representation, and disregard for seniority in promotions. Other grievances include the alleged victimisation of workers, irregular recruitment practices, unfavourable changes in the WASSCE framework (including the reduction of examination subjects from 76 to 38 and corresponding shortening of the exam period), and excessive workload.

Ogunyale declared that the workers are now convinced that the HNO, as the Chief Administrative Officer of WAEC Nigeria, is not “ready to shift ground.” He revealed that the union’s position had fundamentally shifted as a result of the failed negotiation. “So, our number 13 agenda — which is for him to go — has now become the only agenda before us. We informed him of this last Friday during the meeting and have communicated it to our national body. We just do not want him again as our HNO,” Ogunyale said.

While declaring that their next line of action would depend on directives from the NASU national body, Ogunyale vowed that WAEC workers would not back down on their demand for the HNO’s removal, even ahead of the completion of his tenure, which is scheduled to end in September 2026.

The three-day nationwide warning protest conducted by NASU last week — from Wednesday, May 13, to Friday, May 15, 2026 — temporarily paralysed activities at WAEC offices across the country, including the national headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, and regional and state offices nationwide. The protest, which ran daily from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon, saw workers carrying placards and singing solidarity songs while demanding improved welfare conditions and an end to what they described as “impunity” and “discriminatory practices” within the examination body.

The industrial action followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by NASU’s national leadership to WAEC management regarding the nine critical issues. In a letter dated May 5, 2026, and signed by NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the union warned that workers would embark on a protest if management failed to address the concerns within the stipulated timeframe. The letter was titled: “Re: A Call For Immediate Stop to the Shady Recruitment Interview Practices.”

The union’s grievances, as contained in the letter, included the suspension of staff upgrade programmes, imposition of a minimum net pay balance policy, unilateral constitution of investigative panels without consultation, reduction of WASSCE duration, coordinated attempts to weaken the union, breach of seniority principle in appointment and placement, incessant dismissals and disproportionate sanctions, examination for promotion, and indiscriminate recruitment of contract Examination Officers and Assistant Examination Officers.

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Her statement read in part: “While we are concerned about the rights of unions and staff to express their grievances, we are also committed to ensuring seamless and smooth conduct of the ongoing examination.” The council maintained that all disciplinary and career progression matters are handled in line with the WAEC staff handbook and relevant statutory provisions, describing the union’s assertion of “incessant dismissal and inappropriate sanction” as “fallacious.”

The ongoing WASSCE, which commenced on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, involves a total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools nationwide. This represents one of the largest examination cohorts in WAEC’s 74-year history of conducting assessments in Nigeria.

The current crisis is not the first industrial action threat by WAEC workers since Dr. Dangut assumed leadership. In December 2024, a salary review committee recommended a 30 per cent salary increase for staff, but WAEC management only implemented a 25 per cent increase, prompting NASU to call for a four-day strike. The strike ended after NASU and WAEC reached a compromise, securing a 27.5 per cent increase.

However, NASU alleged that even after the strike’s resolution, WAEC management continued retaliatory actions, including issuing an internal memo ordering the stoppage of NASU check-off dues deductions. The union noted that WAEC’s actions had violated not only the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2025 but also Nigeria’s Labour Act, specifically Section 5(3)(a), which mandates that once a trade union is recognized, employers must automatically deduct and remit union dues without requiring further consent.

As the crisis deepens, Ogunyale has made it clear that the union is prepared to escalate its actions if the demand for the HNO’s removal is not met. “We have communicated this to our national body,” he reiterated. “Further actions will be dictated by the NASU national body, but we will not back down on our demand for the HNO’s removal — even ahead of the completion of his tenure in September.”

Meanwhile, WAEC management has not issued any formal response to the specific demand for Dr. Dangut’s removal. The council’s Public Affairs Department has maintained that dialogue remains open and that management is committed to resolving the issues through established channels.

The unfolding situation represents one of the most serious labour crises in WAEC Nigeria’s recent history, with the potential to disrupt not only the welfare of its workers but also the integrity and smooth conduct of examinations for millions of Nigerian students. As one of Africa’s largest examination bodies, the resolution of this crisis is critical — and with the union now making the HNO’s removal its “only agenda,” the path to resolution appears increasingly uncertain.