FG suspends proposed WAEC, NECO fee hike after public backlash

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 made the announcement on Monday in a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, the Director, Press and Public Relations.

The ministry announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken.

Education Minister Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa directed that the proposal be placed on hold, with the Ministry acknowledging the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public since the planned increase became known.

What the Ministry is saying

The Ministry said the proposed fee review was driven by rising operational costs that have accumulated over several years without a corresponding adjustment to examination registration fees.

It said the current fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in costs covering logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the integrity of public examinations.

• “The proposed review was informed by the prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting credible national examinations,” the statement said.
• “The current examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational costs,” the Ministry added.

The ministry said the proposed fee hike will no longer take effect as earlier planned, while acknowledging that the concerns raised by Nigerians warranted a pause in the process.

• “The proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process,” the statement confirmed, adding that the June 18 letter conveying the proposed adjustment has been formally withdrawn.
• “This decision underscores the Ministry’s determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of Nigerian students and their families are carefully considered, socially responsive and reflect the collective interest of the nation,” it said.

More insights

The Ministry outlined a fresh stakeholder engagement process that must be concluded before any decision on examination fees is made, signaling that the review has been delayed rather than permanently shelved.

The Ministry said it will engage extensively with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders as part of the renewed consultation process.

It said the goal of the consultation is to ensure that any future decision is “fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing realities while safeguarding access to education,” framing the suspension as a course correction rather than an outright reversal of policy intent.

• “The Ministry acknowledges the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public and appreciates the keen interest shown by Nigerians in matters relating to access to quality education,” the statement read.
• The Ministry assured Nigerians it would keep the public fully informed throughout the consultation process, saying the welfare of students and equitable access to quality education “remain at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the education sector.”

What you should know

The suspension follows sustained public pushback against the proposed fee increase, which drew criticism from parents, students, education advocates and civil society groups.

It comes days after the federal government began the process to end JSS-SSS separation policy.

Earlier this month, Nairametrics reported that the FG has commenced plans to phase out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) as part of wider reforms aimed at improving access to quality education and learning outcomes nationwide.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.

According to the ministry, the proposed reform is intended to ease overcrowding in junior secondary schools, optimise the use of underutilised senior secondary facilities and reduce school dropout rates.