FG suspends N50,000 WAEC, NECO fee increment amid outrage

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 - The Federal Government on Monday suspended the proposed upward review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, following widespread public reactions and calls for a reconsideration of the plan.

The Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement issued by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, announced that it had withdrawn the June 18, 2026, letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment to pave the way for broader consultations with key stakeholders before any final decision is taken.

The decision comes barely days after the proposed increase sparked criticism from students, parents, education stakeholders and civil society groups, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students rejecting the planned hike and urging the government to reverse it over concerns about the rising cost of education.

According to the ministry, the suspension followed a directive by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who ordered that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.

“The letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.

The ministry said it had taken note of the concerns and constructive feedback expressed by Nigerians, describing the public engagement as a demonstration of the country’s collective interest in ensuring access to quality education.

It explained that the proposed fee review was driven by the increasing cost of conducting credible national examinations, noting that examination registration fees had remained largely unchanged for years despite rising operational expenses.

According to the ministry, costs associated with logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other critical examination processes have increased significantly.

“Nevertheless, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking,” the statement added.

The ministry stressed that the decision reflected the government’s determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of students and their families were carefully considered and socially responsive.

It disclosed that the fresh review process would involve extensive consultations with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners.

The ministry said the consultations would ensure that any future decision on examination registration fees was fair, transparent, financially sustainable and responsive to prevailing economic realities without undermining access to education.

It clarified that the proposed review of the examination registration fees would no longer take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process was concluded.

The ministry also reaffirmed that the welfare of students, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector.

The proposal to review examination fees from N27,000 to N50,000 had generated widespread debate across the country, with students’ groups, parents and education advocates warning that higher registration costs could discourage candidates, particularly those from low-income families, from sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examinations.

The suspension of the planned increase followed sustained calls by education stakeholders for the government to balance the rising cost of administering public examinations with the need to keep secondary education affordable.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, criticised the Tinubu-led government over its decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees, saying the reversal exposed what he described as a pattern of poor policy formulation.

Atiku, though he welcomed the suspension, argued that the policy should never have been introduced without adequate consultation.

In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described the government’s reversal as a victory for parents, students, labour unions, civil society organisations and other Nigerians who opposed the proposed increase.

“The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” Atiku asked.

He accused the government of repeatedly introducing policies without sufficient stakeholder engagement, only to reverse course after public backlash.

“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty,” he added.

According to Atiku, the proposed increase in examination fees would have placed an additional financial burden on families already struggling with inflation, rising transport costs, higher electricity tariffs and declining purchasing power.

“Education should be the ladder out of poverty, not another luxury reserved for the privileged,” he said.

The former vice president commended parents, teachers, labour organisations, student groups and education stakeholders whose opposition, he said, compelled the government to suspend the proposal.

He, however, urged the Federal Government to go beyond the suspension by engaging stakeholders to develop a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO without shifting the financial burden to parents.

“The Federal Government must now engage stakeholders to develop a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO that strengthens these examination bodies without transferring the burden to struggling families,” he added.

Atiku also urged the Federal Government to embrace evidence-based policymaking rooted in dialogue and public consultation.

“A government that listens only after Nigerians cry out is a government that has stopped listening to the people it was elected to serve,” he stressed.

Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, the ADC presidential candidate said Nigerians would have a choice between what he described as an administration driven by “trial and error” and an alternative built on experience in governance.

The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, described the policy reversal as a victory for the Nigerian people.

In a statement posted on X, Obi said, “While I commend the authorities for listening to the widespread public outcry and suspending the policy, it must be said that the fee was an unnecessary burden that should never have been introduced at this time of great hardship, when we should be doing everything possible to invest in basic education and reduce the millions of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, access to education should be expanded, not restricted. Education is a fundamental right and a public good, not a source of government revenue.”

He said imposing multiple fees at the basic education level risked denying many children their right to education.

“At that stage, the state has a duty to invest in educating and preparing its citizens for productive lives, not to erect financial barriers that keep them out of school.

“True leadership is demonstrated not only by making decisions but also by having the humility to reverse policies that impose unnecessary hardship on the people. Many other anti-people policies deserve similar reconsideration,” he added.

Also, the Labour Party governorship aspirant in Imo State, Ifeanyi Ezeagu, commended the Federal Government for suspending the proposed increase in examination fees.

In a statement issued on Monday, Ezeagu described the decision as a timely intervention that would ease the financial burden on millions of Nigerian parents, guardians and students grappling with the country’s economic challenges.

He said the suspension demonstrated sensitivity to the plight of ordinary Nigerians and would help ensure that no student was denied the opportunity to complete secondary education because of financial constraints.

“The decision is a welcome relief for millions of Nigerian parents, guardians and students who are already facing significant economic challenges,” Ezeagu said.

He added, “It is a positive step toward ensuring that no child is denied the opportunity to complete secondary education because of financial hardship.”

The Labour Party chieftain stressed that education remained a fundamental right and a critical driver of national development, poverty reduction and youth empowerment.

According to him, government policies affecting access to education should always prioritise the welfare of citizens, particularly young people seeking academic opportunities.