The Federal Government(FG) has suspended its 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, following widespread public criticism.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced on Monday that it had withdrawn its earlier letter dated June 18, 2026, which communicated the proposed fee adjustment, to allow for wider consultations with stakeholders before any final decision is taken.
In a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the government 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Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement read.
The ministry explained that the proposed increase was necessitated by the rising cost of conducting national examinations, noting that examination registration fees had remained largely unchanged for several years despite growing operational expenses.
According to the ministry, increasing costs associated with logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other essential services informed the proposal.
It 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 transparent, inclusive 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.
The ministry said 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 any decision is reached.
It stressed that the proposed review would not take effect until the consultation process is concluded.
“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 statement said.
The ministry also reaffirmed that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to the Federal Government’s education agenda, pledging to keep Nigerians 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 from 2027, representing an 82 per cent increase from the current N27,500.
The approval, contained in a June 18, 2026 letter signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of examination fees.
The proposed increase had attracted criticism from several groups, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students, who urged the government to reconsider the decision over concerns about its impact on Nigerian families.