The Federal Government has approved a sharp increase in the registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), raising the cost to ₦50,000 per candidate from 2027.
The decision, approved by the Federal Ministry of Education, has drawn widespread criticism from parents, education groups and opposition figures, who warn that the new fee could make secondary school graduation examinations unaffordable for many Nigerian families.
Under the new policy, NECO’s SSCE registration fee will rise from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, while WAEC’s fee will increase from ₦27,000 to the same amount. The approval was conveyed in a memo dated June 18, 2026, and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
According to the ministry, the decision followed a meeting with examination bodies on March 31, 2026, where the Minister directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform examination fee for school candidates. The ministry instructed NECO to notify all stakeholders that the new fee would take effect with the 2027 internal SSCE examinations.
The announcement has raised concerns that more students may struggle to register for the examinations, particularly in states where governments do not cover examination fees. While states such as Lagos currently sponsor WAEC registration for public school candidates, many parents still bear the cost of NECO, and stakeholders fear the increase could worsen access to education.
The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) described the increase as excessive. Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, argued that while examination fees may require periodic adjustments, the increase was too steep for families already battling rising living costs. He urged the government and examination bodies to review the decision, warning that some students could be prevented from sitting their final examinations because of financial hardship.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) declined to take a direct position on the new fees. National President Audu Titus Amba said the issue was primarily one for parents to either accept or reject, noting that the union’s immediate concern remained the welfare of teachers.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also condemned the fee hike. He described the policy as economically insensitive, arguing that increasing education costs at a time of soaring inflation and rising household expenses could push even more children out of school. Atiku urged President Bola Tinubu to reverse the approval, warning that making WAEC and NECO examinations more expensive could further limit access to education and widen Nigeria’s already large out-of-school population.
