Federal Government Bows To Pressure, Suspends WAEC, NECO Fee Increase
The Federal Government has annulled the proposed hike in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade. The ministry said the proposal has been put on ice to allow for wider consultations before any final decision is taken.
The statement said the letter dated June 18, 2026, which informed stakeholders of the proposed fee adjustment has been officially withdrawn. The ministry said the withdrawal was needed after receiving feedback from parents, education stakeholders, labour groups, school administrators and members of the public who were concerned about the impact of the increase on families already struggling with economic challenges.
The ministry has again said that the existing registration fees will not be changed until the proposal has been fully reviewed and all interested parties consulted.
“The proposed fee adjustment was first considered in light of the rising costs of conducting credible national examinations across the country,” the statement read in part. It said the registration fees for WAEC and NECO had remained relatively constant for many years despite a huge increase in operational costs.
The ministry attributed the higher cost of organizing the examinations to several factors including transportation and logistics, security arrangements, printing of examination materials, deployment of technology, quality assurance processes and other administrative services necessary to maintain the integrity of the examination system.
It also disclosed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be put on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and evidence based policy making.
The government believes that major policy decisions that will affect millions of Nigerian students and their families should only be implemented after extensive consultation with all the stakeholders concerned, the statement said.
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The Federal Ministry of Education said it would, as part of the consultation process, hold discussions with examination bodies, state ministries of education, public and private school owners, school administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education experts and other critical stakeholders.
The ministry said the consultations would focus on ensuring that any future decision on examination fees reflects the realities of the education sector while safeguarding students’ access to affordable education.
It reassured 2027 candidates that the proposed fee review would not be implemented until the consultation process has been completed and a final decision has been announced.
The Federal Ministry of Education has reiterated the government’s commitment to equal access to quality education and to ensuring that policy decisions are taken based on fairness, transparency and the best interest of the Nigerian students.
Before the suspension of the proposed increase, the registration fee for both WAEC and NECO examinations for senior secondary school candidates was N27,500. The ministry assured that it would keep Nigerians abreast of developments as consultations continue and that any future decision would be communicated openly after adequate engagement with all stakeholders.
