The Federal Government has been criticized for its decision to increase the registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) to N50,000.

The new fee, approved by the Federal Ministry of Education, represents an 82 per cent increase over the current registration fee of N27,500, making it one of the sharpest increases in examination charges in recent years.

Education experts and other stakeholders, however, warned that the upward review could place additional financial pressure on millions of struggling families and worsen the out-of-school crisis.

The approval for the increment was conveyed in a letter dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, following a request by WAEC for an upward review of examination fees for candidates sitting the Senior School Certificate Examination from 2027.

According to the ministry, the decision followed a meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies on March 31, 2026, where the rising cost of conducting public examinations was discussed. At the meeting, the minister directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform registration fee for their Senior School Certificate Examinations.

The ministry said: “You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the honourable minister of education on 31 March, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fees was discussed, the honourable minister directed that WAEC and NECO 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 (N50,000.00) only, as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from NECO SSCE (Internal), 2027.”

The ministry also directed the Registrar of NECO to notify all relevant stakeholders ahead of the implementation of the new fee.

Confirming the development, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, said the approval had been granted.

“I can confirm the approval of an upward review of the examination fees. I spoke with the director in charge a few minutes ago and he said the approval was done,” Folashade said.

Although the ministry did not provide a detailed breakdown of the factors that informed the increase, examination bodies have consistently cited rising operational costs, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, supervision and general administration, as reasons why examination charges require periodic review.

Education stakeholders, however, expressed concern that rising education costs from tuition and transportation to uniforms, textbooks and examination fees are gradually pushing vulnerable families out of the formal education system.

There are also concerns about the implications for state governments that currently sponsor candidates for examinations.

States that fully or partially fund WAEC and NECO registration may now require significantly larger budgetary allocations to maintain existing support programmes.

Those already struggling to settle examination registration obligations could face even greater financial pressure under the new fee regime.

While the Federal Government maintains that the increase is necessary to sustain the quality and administration of national examinations, education stakeholders insist that affordability must remain central to any reform affecting millions of schoolchildren.

Fee hike will worsen out-of-school crisis – Educationists

The National Mobilisation Officer of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Adaramoye Micheal Lenin, described the decision as counterproductive, arguing that it runs contrary to the government’s stated commitment to making education more accessible.

“This increase is not going to help curb the out-of-school crisis the government is trying to stop; rather, it will increase it. How does this help make education attractive to an already group of Nigerians who don’t fancy education?

“With this increase, it seems education has been commercialised and it’s now a danger, looking at the existing poor infrastructure and learning environment.

“We have Nigerians facing economic challenges and adding this extra burden will see parents who can’t afford the fees withdraw their kids to come and join them in the farm, markets or wherever they make a living. Students will be discouraged.

“As a group, we demand an immediate reversal of the fees. We condemn it in totality,” he said.

Lenin argued that at a time when many families are struggling with rising inflation and declining purchasing power, making secondary school certification more expensive could discourage school enrolment rather than improve educational outcomes.

He also questioned how the fee increase aligns with government policies aimed at improving school enrolment and reducing learning poverty.

Similar concerns were raised by the President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), FCT chapter, Mrs Dorothy Okwuenu, who described the increase as unfortunate and warned that it could frustrate efforts to retain children in school.

Okwuenu said: “It is a terrible move from the government. It is quite unfortunate that the government will be increasing the fees now and unfortunately, we are stuck. The increase has a multiplier effect as it will discourage students from going to school, thus increasing the out-of-school children.

“We have struggling parents who can’t afford this increase. Will the government pay for the public school students? I understand the other policy on the JSS and SSS, which is a good one for students to have 12 years straight education but this increase can derail that policy.”

According to Okwuenu, while the Federal Government’s proposed 12-year uninterrupted basic education model is designed to improve retention and reduce dropout rates, increasing examination fees without corresponding support mechanisms could undermine those objectives.

She noted that many parents whose children attend both public and private schools are already under immense financial pressure and may struggle to absorb another significant increase in education-related expenses.

Dr Mary Chinwuba, Executive Director of Chalcedony Prime School, Abuja, said the increase raises broader concerns about equity, affordability and access to education.

She warned that thousands of students from low-income households may be unable to complete their secondary education simply because they cannot afford the examination fees.

She said: “Many Nigerian families are already struggling with inflation and the rising cost of living. A sharp increase in examination fees could prevent thousands of qualified students from sitting for WAEC or NECO exams, especially those from low-income homes.

“Some students who cannot afford the examination fees may become discouraged and leave school altogether, increasing the number of out-of-school youths.

“Parents are already paying tuition, textbooks, uniforms, transportation, and feeding costs. An additional N50,000 per candidate will place significant pressure on household finances.

“Children from wealthier families will continue their education with little difficulty, while those from poorer homes may be left behind, widening the gap in educational opportunity.

“My position as an educationist is that quality education should remain accessible, affordable, and inclusive.

The Proprietress of The Winners Joy International Academy, Kubwa, Abuja, Mrs Rosemary Onyenagubo, also believes the increase could make quality education increasingly inaccessible for many families.

“Gradually, education is becoming only for the rich. The increase will cause so many students to drop out, especially those who can’t afford it. The increase is also coming at a time when many families are struggling to feed and this may push them to abandon education totally,” she said.

It’s economically insensitive – Atiku

Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described the recent increase in fees for Federal Unity Colleges and the approval of a uniform N50,000 examination fee for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027 as cruel and economically insensitive.

Atiku, in a statement by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, said it is unconscionable that at a time when Nigerian families are battling record inflation, soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, crippling electricity tariffs, stagnant incomes and widespread unemployment, the Tinubu administration chose to make education even more expensive.

He said the upward review was fundamentally incompatible with the government’s constitutional responsibility to make education accessible to every Nigerian child.

He noted that education remains the greatest instrument of social mobility and the surest pathway out of poverty for millions of children from humble backgrounds.

According to him, every additional financial burden imposed on parents translates into another child being denied the opportunity to learn, dream and contribute meaningfully to society.

Old video: I paid students’ WAEC fees because many parents couldn’t afford them – Tinubu

Amidst knocks generated by the increment, an old video of President Tinubu, while serving as governor of Lagos State, has emerged.

In the 2001 video currently circulating on social media, Tinubu, who spoke in Yoruba, said he approved the payment of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for students because many parents could not afford the cost.

He said the examination fees ranged between N1,000 and N2,000, but many families still found them unaffordable.

Tinubu served as governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.

He said: “Before we came into office, students were asked to pay WAEC fees of between N1,000 and N2,000. But during the campaign, about 17 people told me they could not afford the fees and had asked their children to stay at home.

“At that point, I said never again. We decided that the government would pay the examination fees for the students.

“When we started paying over N100 million, they introduced separate fees for science practicals, but I said I would not pay that one.”

Tinubu also recounted an encounter that influenced his decision.

“I had left office around 5 p.m. In Mile 12, I saw women selling bread and sachet water with children still in their school uniforms. One of the children was carrying a tray of groundnuts on the head.

“I asked myself, if we don’t pay these fees, how can these children become pharmacists, doctors or engineers?

“I went back to the office and approved the payment. But paying examination fees alone is not enough. If we don’t provide laboratories in schools, it won’t make sense because the students also need practical training and the necessary learning materials.” (Daily Trust)

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