Dozens of General Certificate Examination (GCE) candidates in Lagos were left stranded on Tuesday, January 30, after being denied entry to their designated exam center at the National Open University (NOUN) in Victoria Island. The students, who arrived expecting to sit for their exams, were turned away because NOUN students were also writing exams, and the institution reportedly could not accommodate external activities.
With no prior notice of a venue change, the affected candidates were eventually redirected to a new location inside a market on Lagos Island. Videos circulating online show students waiting outside the newly assigned venue while officials hurriedly prepared the exam hall.
Frustrated parents have criticized the GCE organizers for poor planning and mismanagement. Many argued that such a last-minute change caused unnecessary stress for the students, who had already arrived at NOUN prepared for their exams.
“They should have informed us ahead of time,” one parent said. “This is incompetence at its peak.”
