FG suspends proposed WAEC, NECO fee hike after public outcry

The Federal Government has placed on hold the increment of the registration cost for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), subject to further consultation.

This comes following the announcement made by the Federal Ministry of Education in a press release on Monday, that the June 18, 2026, letter from the Ministry proposing the increase in the examination fees has since been withdrawn.

This, the ministry said, came as a result of public reactions on the proposed increment.

“The letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.

The ministry went further to note that the move to conduct a review on the fees structure was necessitated by the increasing cost of running national examinations, which include logistics, security, examination paper production and technology application.

It noted that fees paid by students towards their examination had not been adjusted despite an increase in the cost of doing business.

According to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the review should be put on hold pending the implementation of the federal government’s principle of evidence-based policy making.

The ministry indicated that consultation will now be conducted with examination bodies, state ministries of education, proprietors of schools, parents associations, trade unions and other education stakeholders.

It emphasized that the review of the fees cannot be implemented before the consultations have been concluded.

The suspension came weeks after the Federal Government approved a proposal to increase the registration fee for WAEC and NECO exams from N27,500 to N50,000 for prospective examinees in 2027, marking an 82 per cent increment.

This proposal was not welcomed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and other stakeholders who believed that the fee hike will put more economic pressure on Nigerian citizens.