PARENTS, ATIKU KICK AS FG RAISES WAEC, NECO FEES TO N50,000 PER CANDIDATE

By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The Federal Ministry of Education has approved an increase in the registration fees for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to ₦50,000 per candidate, effective from 2027.

The decision has drawn criticism from the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who described the increase as an additional burden on struggling parents and guardians.

The new fee will see NECO’s SSCE internal registration rise from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, while WAEC’s fee will increase from ₦27,000 to the same amount.

A memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education, approved the increase.

The memo, addressed to the Registrar of NECO, stated:

“Re: Upward review of registration fees for examinations conducted by NECO.

“The West African Examinations Council has requested an upward review of examination fees for Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates with effect from 2027.

“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fee was discussed, the Minister of Education directed that the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE.

“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) only, as the new examination fee for candidates with effect from NECO SSCE internal 2027.

“You are to bring the content of this letter to all stakeholders. Please accept the Minister’s warm regards.”

The development has raised concerns that states which currently sponsor candidates may accumulate higher debts to the examination bodies, while parents in states that do not subsidise examination fees fear many students may be unable to register.

In Lagos State, for instance, the government pays the WAEC registration fee for eligible candidates, while parents who can afford it pay for NECO.

NAPTAN kicks

Reacting to the increase, the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria described the new fee as excessive.

Speaking with Vanguard, Chairman of NAPTAN’s Board of Trustees, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the increase should have been gradual.

“The increase is too high for our liking and acceptance. If the examination bodies are seeking increase, citing cost of living, I think it should be a bit progressive, may be at most 25 per cent. But what they are asking for now is surely over 75 percent. That is on the high side.

“Apart from paying examination fees and others, parents have a lot of responsibilities on their children. There are other obligations to meet. The new rate will be a burden on parents and that is why we want them to have a rethink.

“Okay, what will now be the benefit if a child gets to SSS 3 class and is unable to register for the final examination on account of high registration fee. Let them please bring the rate down,” he said.

NUT reacts

The President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Audu Titus Amba, said the issue was for parents to either reject or accept.

“NUT is for teachers, and as a leader of the union, the welfare and issue concerning teachers are our focus. The issue of registration fee is left to parents to reject or accept,” he said, adding that the union would address broader education issues at a press conference.

Atiku condemns increase

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the decision, describing the increase in Unity School fees and the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee as cruel and economically insensitive.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the policy was inconsistent with government’s constitutional responsibility to make education accessible.

He said:

“Nigeria already bears the painful distinction of having one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Depending on the methodology and age group measured, between 10.5 million and about 15 million Nigerian children and young people are already outside the classroom.

“Any government confronted with such a national emergency should be investing aggressively to bring these children back into school. Instead, this administration is choosing policies that will inevitably swell those numbers.”

He warned that increasing examination fees would disproportionately affect poor and middle-income families already struggling with rising living costs.

Atiku also questioned the government’s emphasis on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that student loans offer little benefit to children who cannot afford secondary education or qualifying examinations.

“A government cannot credibly claim to be expanding access to higher education while simultaneously erecting financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from ever reaching the university gates.

“Genuine educational reform begins by making education affordable from the primary and secondary levels, expanding the carrying capacity of our tertiary institutions, and ensuring that poverty never becomes the reason a child is denied the opportunity to learn. A government that truly believes in education invests in classrooms before it invests in loans.

“No nation has ever taxed its way into educational excellence. Countries that aspire to economic greatness invest more, not less, in education during difficult times because they understand that human capital is the engine of sustainable development.

“Nigeria cannot build a globally competitive economy while systematically pricing millions of its children out of classrooms,” he said.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse the fee increases and convene an urgent stakeholders’ dialogue on sustainable funding for public education.

Atiku added:

“By the grace of Almighty God, I remain confident that Nigerians will reject policies that punish their children and make education the exclusive preserve of those who can afford it. The African Democratic Congress is committed to restoring education as a public good, not a privilege.

“An ADC-led government will not permit the implementation of this unjust and punitive increase in examination fees.

“Instead, we shall reverse policies that place education beyond the reach of ordinary families, expand access to quality education at every level, increase the carrying capacity of our tertiary institutions, and ensure that every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has a fair opportunity to learn, excel, and fulfill his or her God-given potential.”