Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.

In a statement posted on his official page on July 13, 2026, Atiku said the government’s decision followed widespread opposition from parents, students, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

He argued that the proposed fee increase would have placed an additional financial burden on families and further restricted access to education for many Nigerian students.

“I welcome the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in WAEC and NECO registration fees. This reversal is a victory for the Nigerian people,” Atiku said.

He added that the suspension validated his earlier warning that increasing examination fees could worsen educational inequality, expand the number of out-of-school children and deny many indigent students the opportunity to pursue higher education.

However, Atiku questioned why the government only reversed the decision after widespread public criticism.

“Why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” he asked.

The former vice president urged the Federal Government to engage education stakeholders in developing a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO without shifting the financial burden to parents and students.

He also called for broader consultations before introducing policies that directly affect Nigerians, saying greater stakeholder engagement would lead to better-informed decisions.