The Federal Government has suspended its proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, following widespread public criticism.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced on Monday that it had withdrawn its June 18, 2026, letter proposing the fee adjustment to allow for broader consultations with stakeholders before any final decision is made.
Reacting to the development, former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, described the decision as a victory for millions of Nigerian parents, students and civil society groups who opposed the proposed increase.
Atiku said the government’s reversal validated concerns that higher examination fees would worsen educational inequality and deny children from low-income families access to education.
“I welcome the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in WAEC and NECO registration fees. This reversal is a victory for millions of Nigerian parents, students, civil society organisations, and all citizens who refused to remain silent in the face of an unjust policy,” he said.
He argued that governments should consult widely before introducing policies rather than waiting for public outrage before reversing them.
According to him, leadership should anticipate the consequences of policies instead of relying on public resistance to identify policy mistakes.
The former vice-president also warned that increasing examination fees would have imposed another financial burden on families already struggling with inflation, high transport costs, rising electricity tariffs and declining purchasing power.
While commending parents, teachers, labour unions, student groups and education stakeholders for their advocacy, Atiku urged the Federal Government to develop a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO without transferring the financial burden to struggling households.
He further criticised what he described as a pattern of announcing unpopular policies before engaging stakeholders, insisting that consultation remains the foundation of responsible governance.
The Ministry of Education, however, said the proposed fee review was driven by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, including logistics, security, printing, technology deployment and quality assurance.
In a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the ministry said the proposal had been placed on hold on the directive of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa.
According to the ministry, the suspension reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
It added that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school owners, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders before any decision is reached.
The ministry assured Nigerians that the proposed review would not take effect until the consultation process is concluded, stressing that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to the government’s education agenda.
The suspended proposal would have increased the registration fee for WAEC and NECO examinations from N27,500 to N50,000, representing an 82 per cent increase from the 2027 examination cycle.
