FG suspends proposed WAEC, NECO fee hike

The Federal Government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, pending wider consultations with stakeholders.

In a Monday statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, the ministry said the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.

The ministry, in the release signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public.

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Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.

According to the ministry, the proposed fee review was driven by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, noting that registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.

It cited higher costs of logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the credibility of public examinations.

The statement said the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be put on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.

“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking,” it said.

The ministry said the decision reflects its commitment to ensuring that policies affecting students and their families are carefully considered and responsive to public interest.

It added that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners before any decision is reached.

Accordingly, the ministry said the proposed review of examination registration fees would not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process is concluded.

The Federal Ministry of Education reiterated that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to the Federal Government’s education agenda and pledged to keep the public informed throughout the consultation process.

FG said it approved N50,000 as the new examination fee for WAEC and NECO for secondary school candidates from 2027.

The initial registration fee was N27,500, which means the new increment comes with an 82 per cent hike.

In a statement on June 18, 2026, issued by the Director of Senior Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, the approval followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of the fee for the Senior School Certificate Examination for candidates from 2027.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students had earlier kicked against the Federal Government’s approval of a uniform N50,000 fee for candidates.