A Nigerian mathematics teacher, Esomnofu Chidiebube Ifechukwu, has stirred conversations online after opening up about his bitter experience marking WAEC examination scripts, a job he says left him drained, underpaid, and disrespected.
In a viral Facebook post, Chidiebube recounted his last stint with the West African Examinations Council in 2019, describing it as deeply unpleasant and emotionally exhausting. Assigned over 300 long theory scripts packed with sub-questions, he spent two grueling weeks marking without rest.
“It wasn’t a job. It was punishment,” he wrote. “Sleepless nights. Tired eyes. No weekends. No side work. No rest. Just me, a red pen, and a heavy heart.”
Despite the mental and physical toll, Chidiebube said he was paid only ₦13 per script, roughly ₦4,000 for all the work. He added that the final ₦13,000 he received included “logistics” allowances for transportation and corrections, expenses he claims cost him more than they paid.
Beyond the poor pay, he criticized the pressure placed on teachers, revealing how some colleagues took on hundreds more scripts out of desperation. According to him, some teachers accepted up to 1,200 scripts just to make ends meet, only to later outsource them to students, friends, and even non-teachers unfamiliar with the subject matter. This, he warned, results in unfair grading and students being failed for answers they got right.
“WAEC doesn’t treat teachers like human beings. They treat us like cheap machines,” he said, expressing his refusal to ever return to marking scripts unless the examination body enacts real reforms.
His emotional account has sparked widespread debate about the treatment of educators in Nigeria’s examination system, and the long-overdue need to prioritize quality, fairness, and proper compensation in the country’s education sector.