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, pending wider consultations with relevant stakeholders.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the ministry, the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations before any final decision is taken.
“The Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement read.
The ministry explained that the proposed increase was necessitated by the rising costs of conducting national examinations. It noted that examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance, and other essential services required to maintain the credibility of public examinations.
The statement added that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent, and evidence-based policymaking.
“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking,” the ministry stated.
It further said the suspension reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that policies affecting students and their families are carefully considered and aligned with the public interest.
The ministry disclosed that consultations would now be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders, and other critical partners before a final decision is reached.
As a result, the proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect as earlier announced until the consultation process is completed.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education, and responsible policymaking remain at the heart of the Federal Government’s education agenda, assuring Nigerians that the public would be kept informed throughout the consultation process.
The suspension comes weeks after the Federal Government approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for WAEC and NECO examinations beginning from the 2027 examination cycle, representing an 82 per cent increase from the current fee of N27,500.
The proposed increase, which followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of examination fees, had drawn widespread criticism from stakeholders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who urged the government to reconsider the decision.
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