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, pending wider consultations with stakeholders.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education through its 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According to the ministry, the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.
“The letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement read.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 cost of conducting public examinations, noting that examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for years despite increasing operational expenses.
It listed logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other essential services as factors responsible for the proposed review.
The statement added that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be put 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 said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public, stressing that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school owners, school administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders before any decision is reached.
The ministry maintained that the proposed review of examination registration fees would not take effect until the consultation process is concluded.
It reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking, assuring Nigerians that the public would be kept informed throughout the consultation process.
The suspension comes weeks after the Federal Government approved a proposed increase in the registration fee for WAEC and NECO examinations from N27,500 to N50,000 for candidates from 2027, representing an 82 per cent increase.
The proposal, contained in a June 18, 2026 letter signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, followed a request by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for an upward review of examination fees.
The planned increase had attracted criticism from several groups, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who urged the government to reverse the decision.
