Federal Government has suspended its 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) following widespread criticism from parents, education stakeholders and opposition figures.
Gatekeepers News reports that Federal Ministry of Education said it had withdrawn the June 18 memo that approved a uniform examination fee of N50,000 for both WAEC and NECO from 2027. According to the ministry, the suspension is intended to allow for broader consultations with relevant stakeholders before any final decision is made.
The proposed increase would have raised the examination fee from about N27,500 to N50,000, representing an 82 per cent hike. Government officials had explained that the proposal was driven by rising operational costs and the need to harmonise fees charged by both examination bodies.
However, the proposal sparked strong public backlash, with many Nigerians arguing that the increase would place an additional financial burden on families already struggling with the high cost of living and could prevent students from low-income households from sitting for the examinations.
