BREAKING: Federal Government Suspends Planned WAEC, NECO Fee Hike After Widespread Criticism
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, pending wider consultations with key stakeholders.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education, which disclosed that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.
According to the ministry, the suspension followed widespread concerns and public criticism over the proposed increase, which would have raised the examination registration fee from N27,500 to N50,000, representing an 82 per cent increase.
The statement, signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, explained that although the proposed review was necessitated by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, the Federal Government had resolved to halt its implementation to accommodate broader consultations.
The ministry noted that the cost of organising public examinations has increased significantly in recent years due to higher expenses on logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other operational requirements necessary to maintain the integrity of the examinations.
It stated that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposed fee review be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
“The letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement read.
The ministry said the consultation process would involve examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners to ensure that any decision reflects the collective interest of Nigerians.
“The proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process is concluded,” the ministry added.
The Federal Government reiterated that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to its education agenda, assuring Nigerians that the public would be kept informed throughout the consultation process.
The suspension comes weeks after the Federal Government approved a uniform registration fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting the 2027 WAEC and NECO Senior School Certificate Examinations, a decision that attracted widespread criticism from stakeholders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who urged the government to reverse the proposed increase.