The Federal Government has approved an increase in the registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), raising the cost to ₦50,000 per candidate from 2027.

The approval, conveyed through the Federal Ministry of Education, will see the NECO SSCE registration fee rise from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, while the WAEC fee will increase from ₦27,000 to the same amount.

WAEC concluded its 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination a few weeks ago, while the NECO examination is currently underway.

The decision is contained in a memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.

According to the information contained in a memo, the fee adjustment followed a policy decision reached during a meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies on March 31, 2026, where both WAEC and NECO were directed to adopt a uniform registration fee for their internal SSCE examinations.

Part of the memo reads, “The West African Examinations Council has requested an upward review of the examination fees for the Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates, with effect from 2027.

“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on 31st March, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fee was discussed, the Honourable Minister of Education directed that the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE.

“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (₦50,000) only, as the new examination fee for candidates with effect from NECO SSCE Internal 2027.

“You are to bring the content of this letter to all stakeholders.”

The new fee is expected to place additional financial pressure on several state governments that sponsor candidates for the examinations, with concerns that outstanding debts owed to both examination bodies could rise further.

Education stakeholders also fear the increase may make it more difficult for thousands of candidates to register for the examinations, particularly in states where governments do not subsidise or fully fund SSCE registration.

In Lagos State, the government currently pays the registration fees for candidates sitting the WAEC Senior School Certificate Examination, while parents who can afford it bear the cost of NECO registration for their children. The latest increase is expected to significantly raise the financial burden on families without government support. (The Sun)

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