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 stakeholders.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the decision in a statement issued on Monday, saying the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.
The statement, signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public.
“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Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement read.
According to the ministry, the proposed fee review was necessitated by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, noting that registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.
It said the increased costs cover logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the credibility of public examinations.
The ministry said 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 statement added.
It said the decision reflects the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that policies affecting students and their families are carefully considered and responsive to public interest.
The ministry added that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other key partners before a final decision is reached.
It stressed that the proposed review of examination registration fees would not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process is concluded.
The ministry reiterated that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to the Federal Government’s education agenda, adding that the public would be kept informed throughout the consultation process.
Before the suspension, the Federal Government had approved an increase in the registration fee for WAEC and NECO examinations from N27,500 to N50,000 for secondary school candidates from 2027, representing an increase of about 82 per cent.
