FG Suspends Planned N50,000 WAEC, NECO Exam Fee Hike After Public Backlash
The Federal Government has stopped, for now, its plan to raise the registration fees for WASSCE and NECO senior secondary examinations to ₦50,000. The decision came after strong and continued objections from parents and other people in the education sector.
The proposed increase caused fear and anger because many Nigerian families already struggle to pay school costs. Parents and education stakeholders warned that a fee of ₦50,000 could place an important examination beyond the reach of children from poor homes.
The Federal Ministry of Education confirmed the change on Monday. It said it had withdrawn the letter sent on June 18, which first informed people about the planned fee increase.
The withdrawal means the new charge will not begin as earlier announced. Instead, the ministry will speak with more stakeholders before it makes a final decision.
The proposed fee was meant to take effect from the 2027 examination cycle. Under the plan, candidates would have paid a uniform fee of ₦50,000 for either the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, known as WASSCE, or the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, known as NECO SSCE.
The present charge is ₦27,500. Raising it to ₦50,000 would have nearly doubled the amount families must pay for each candidate.
For a home already fighting to pay for food, transport, school uniforms and books, the extra cost would not be a small change. It could become the difference between a child sitting for the examination and a child staying at home.
News of the proposal quickly drew criticism. Parents spoke against it, while education advocates warned about the effect on access to education. Opposition voices also rejected the increase.
The main fear was clear. Senior secondary examinations are a major step in the education of a young person. If the cost becomes too high, children from poorer households may be pushed away from that step, no matter how intelligent or hardworking they are.
The Ministry of Education explained why the fee increase had been proposed. It said the cost of organising public examinations has continued to rise.
Running WASSCE and NECO SSCE requires large operations. The ministry pointed to growing expenses linked to logistics, security, printing, technology and quality assurance.
Logistics cover the movement and organisation needed to conduct examinations across many locations. Security is needed to protect the process, while printing costs cover examination materials. Technology is also playing a larger role, and quality assurance is needed to keep the examinations reliable.
The ministry said examination fees had remained largely unchanged for years, even while these operating costs continued to grow. From its position, the proposed increase was meant to respond to the growing financial pressure of running the examinations.
However, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has now ordered that the plan be placed on hold. The order means the government will not move forward with the increase until wider consultation has taken place.
“The Honourable Minister of Education... has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking,” the ministry said.
The statement shows that the government wants more people to take part in the discussion before a final choice is made. It said decisions that affect students and families must be “socially responsive and reflect the collective interest of the nation.”
This means the government must consider more than the cost of running the examinations. It must also consider the financial condition of families, the needs of students and the wider effect on access to education.
The ministry listed the groups it plans to consult. It will speak with the examination bodies that organise the tests and with state ministries of education.
School proprietors will also be part of the talks. Parents’ groups, labour unions and other stakeholders will have a chance to give their views before the government reaches a final position.
Each group carries a different concern. Examination bodies understand the cost of organising the tests. Schools see the effect on candidates, while parents feel the cost directly in their homes. Labour unions and education stakeholders can also raise wider social and economic concerns.
“The proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process,” the ministry stated.
The words are important. The fee increase has been placed on hold, but the government has not said that every future review has been cancelled. A final decision will come only after the consultation process is completed.
For now, the planned uniform fee of ₦50,000 will not take effect from the 2027 examination cycle as first announced. The June 18 letter that communicated the proposal has been withdrawn.
The ministry also assured Nigerians that student welfare remains central to the education plans of President Bola Tinubu’s government. It said equal and fair access to education is still a key part of the President’s Renewed Hope framework.
This assurance speaks directly to the worry raised by families. An examination fee is not just a number written in an official letter; it can decide whether a student gets the chance to complete secondary education and move forward.
The government now faces a difficult balance. Examination bodies need enough money to handle logistics, security, printing, technology and quality assurance. Yet families also need fees they can afford.
No new date has been announced for the end of the consultation process. The ministry has also not stated when a new or revised proposal may be released.
Parents and students must therefore wait for the final decision. For now, one point is clear; the plan to raise WASSCE and NECO SSCE fees from ₦27,500 to ₦50,000 has been stopped, and wider talks must come first.