By Michael AMAJAMA
Reactions have continued to trail the federal government’s upping of registration fees for the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, raising the cost of the Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, to N50,000 per candidate, effective from 2027.
The new fee, which replaces the current N27,500 charge, represents an 82 per cent increase and will apply to candidates sitting the internal SSCE conducted by both examination bodies.
In an approval dated June 18 and signed by Adeniji Ibrahim, the director of senior secondary education in the federal ministry of education, the ministry said the decision followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of examination fees and deliberations at a meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies held on March 31, 2026.
The ministry said the meeting resolved that both WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform examination fee.
“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on 31 March, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fees was discussed, the Honourable Minister directed that WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE,” the statement read.
It added, “Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) only, as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from NECO SSCE (Internal), 2027.”
The ministry directed that the approval be communicated to all relevant stakeholders to facilitate implementation ahead of the 2027 examination cycle.
Confirming the development, Folasade Boriowo, the director of press and public relations at the ministry of education, said the approval had been granted after due consideration.
“I can confirm the approval of an upward review of the examination fees. I spoke with the director in charge a few minutes ago and he said the approval was done,” she said.
Reacting to the development, ex-Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, warned that the policy would deny millions of children access to education.
Atiku also condemned the recent increase in fees charged by Federal Unity Colleges, describing the measures as economically insensitive and inconsistent with the government’s constitutional obligation to make education accessible to every Nigerian child.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said the Tinubu-led government is imposing additional financial burdens on families already struggling under the weight of inflation, rising food prices, high transportation costs, electricity tariff increases and widespread unemployment.
“It is unconscionable that at a time when Nigerian families are battling record inflation, soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, crippling electricity tariffs, stagnant incomes and widespread unemployment, the Tinubu administration has chosen to make education even more expensive,” Atiku said.
Timi Lizzy Briyah, on microblogging platform, Facebook, decried the increment, throwing a jibe at President Bola Tinubu.
Timi wrote, “This president is doing too much, is it from akara business we go get 50k from to do registration for children? This is too bad.”
On her part, Uduekwe Oluchi called on the federal government to increase the minimum wage. “They should do well to increase minimum wage…”
Sallau Yaroson on his part warned that it could fuel examination malpractice. He stated, “And you expect students not to do malpractice to pass? Imagine a situation where you have two children and both of them failed and have to rewrite?
“After all, are not the exam bodies going paperless again? A peerless exam is supposed to cost lower than a paper exam.”
For Ekom Ajegena John, the government is shutting the door against children of the underprivileged as he argued the cost is on the high side.
“The government doesn’t want the children of the poor to go school at all because education that is supposed to be almost free had been turned into revenue generating agencies, the poor are surviving in this country now by the grace of God,” Ekom lamented.
As at the time of going to press, the Parent-Teacher Association was yet to react to the development.
