The Federal Government has suspended the proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), following widespread public criticism and calls for a review.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced on Monday that it had withdrawn its June 18, 2026 circular conveying the proposed fee adjustment to pave the way for broader consultations with key stakeholders before any final decision is reached.
In a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the government said the decision was informed by concerns and feedback from the public over the proposed increase.
“The letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the ministry stated.
It explained that the proposed review was necessitated by the rising cost of conducting national examinations, noting that registration fees had remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.
According to the ministry, the cost of logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other critical services required to sustain the credibility of public examinations has risen significantly.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, was said to have directed that the proposal be put on hold in keeping with the Federal Government’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
“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 assured Nigerians that the review process would involve extensive consultations with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders before any new fee structure is approved.
It stressed that the proposed increase would not take effect until the consultation process is concluded.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to students’ welfare and equitable access to quality education, the ministry pledged to keep the public informed throughout the engagement process.
The suspension comes barely weeks after the Federal Government approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for both WAEC and NECO examinations beginning from 2027, representing an 82 per cent increase from the current N27,500.
The approval, announced in a June 18, 2026 statement signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of examination fees.
The proposed hike, however, triggered widespread criticism from parents, education stakeholders and opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who described the increase as excessive and capable of worsening access to secondary education for many Nigerian families.
