The Federal Government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The Federal Ministry of Education said the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, has been withdrawn to allow for wider consultations with stakeholders before a final decision is taken.
The Federal Government had approved a uniform registration fee of N50,000 for WAEC and NECO senior secondary school examinations from 2027.
The proposal, which would have raised the examination fee from N27,500, attracted widespread criticism from parents, education stakeholders and opposition figures, who argued that it would further restrict access to education for children from low-income families.
But in a statement by its Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the Ministry noted that the suspension followed reactions from Nigerians over the planned increase.
The official, however, noted that the ministry had taken note of the public’s concerns and constructive feedback on the matter.
According to the Ministry, the proposed fee review was initially driven by the country’s economic realities and the escalating cost of organising credible national examinations.
It explained that examination registration fees had remained largely unchanged for several years despite rising operational expenses, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, deployment of technology, quality assurance and other critical services required to preserve the integrity of public examinations.
However, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be suspended in line with the federal government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
The Ministry said the decision reflected its determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of students and their families are subjected to broad consultation and carefully weighed before implementation.
“As part of the fresh review process, the Ministry will engage extensively with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners,” the statement said.
It added that the consultations would ensure that any future decision on examination fees is fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing economic realities while protecting access to education.
The ministry stressed that the proposed increase would not take effect until the consultation process had been concluded and a final decision reached.
Reassuring Nigerians of the government’s priority on education access.
