The Federal Government has approved a new registration fee of ₦50,000 for candidates sitting the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), effective from the 2027 examination cycle.
The decision, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education, is aimed at introducing a uniform examination fee for both examination bodies.
Under the new arrangement, NECO’s internal SSCE registration fee will rise from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, while WAEC’s fee will increase from ₦27,000 to the same amount.
The approval was contained in a memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
According to the memo, the decision followed a meeting of examination bodies with the Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where stakeholders agreed on the need to review examination fees in response to rising operational costs.
The ministry directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform fee structure beginning with the 2027 SSCE for school candidates.
However, the announcement has generated widespread criticism from education stakeholders, who argue that the increase will place additional financial pressure on parents and could worsen the country’s out-of-school children crisis.
The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) described the new fee as excessive, saying the increase far exceeds what many families can afford.
Chairman of NAPTAN’s Board of Trustees, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said while an adjustment may be necessary due to economic realities, the approved increase was too steep.
He urged the government to reconsider the decision, warning that many students could be unable to register for their final secondary school examinations because of the higher cost.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on its part, maintained that the matter primarily concerns parents, noting that the union’s priority remains teachers’ welfare and professional issues.
Meanwhile, former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, condemned the fee hike, describing it as insensitive and harmful to millions of struggling Nigerian families.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that increasing examination fees at a time of rising inflation, high transportation costs, expensive electricity tariffs and declining household incomes would further limit access to education.
He warned that the policy could significantly increase the number of out-of-school children, particularly among poor and middle-income families already struggling with the cost of living.
Atiku also questioned the government’s emphasis on student loan initiatives while introducing policies that could prevent many students from completing secondary education or qualifying for tertiary admission.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse the planned increase and convene stakeholders to develop sustainable funding strategies that would keep education affordable.
The development has also raised concerns that state governments currently sponsoring WAEC and NECO registration for students may face higher financial obligations, while parents in states without such support may bear the full cost of the increased fees.
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