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) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) following widespread public concerns.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter approving the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for broader consultations before any final decision is made.
The statement, signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the suspension was prompted by feedback from Nigerians, with the government opting for a more inclusive and transparent review process.
According to the ministry, the proposed increase was necessitated by the rising cost of conducting national examinations. It cited growing expenses associated with logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other operational requirements needed to maintain the integrity of public examinations.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be placed on hold, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to evidence-based policymaking and stakeholder engagement.
The ministry said consultations would now be held with key stakeholders, including WAEC, NECO, state ministries of education, school proprietors, parents’ associations, organised labour, education administrators and other relevant groups before any new decision is reached.
As a result, the proposed fee review will no longer take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process has been completed. The ministry assured Nigerians that students’ welfare, affordable access to education and responsible policymaking remain central to the government’s education agenda.
The suspension follows strong opposition to the earlier proposal, which sought to increase the registration fee for WAEC and NECO examinations from ₦27,500 to ₦50,000 for candidates sitting the examinations from 2027—an increase of about 82 per cent. The proposal drew criticism from several groups, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who argued that the increase would place an additional financial burden on Nigerian families.
