The Federal Government has suspended the proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), pending wider consultations with stakeholders.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education. The ministry said its June 18, 2026 letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review following public concerns.
According to the statement, signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the suspension was approved by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
The ministry explained that the proposed fee review was prompted by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, including increased expenses for logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment and quality assurance. It noted that examination registration fees had remained largely unchanged for several years despite growing operational costs.
It added that consultations would now be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors, parents’ associations, organised labour and other key stakeholders before any final decision is made.
The ministry stressed that the proposed fee increase would not take effect until the consultation process is completed, reaffirming that students’ welfare, equitable access to education and responsible policymaking remain priorities of the Federal Government.
The suspended proposal had approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027, representing an 82 per cent increase from the current fee of N27,500. The proposal, announced on June 18 following a request from WAEC, had drawn criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
