The Federal Government has shelved the proposed hike in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
The decision was announced on Monday in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education through its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade. The ministry said the proposal has been put on ice to allow for wider consultations before any final decision is taken.
The statement revealed that the letter dated June 18, 2026 informing stakeholders about the proposed fee adjustment has been officially withdrawn. The ministry said the withdrawal was needed after receiving feedback from parents, education stakeholders, labour groups, school administrators and members of the public who were concerned about the impact of the increase on families already struggling with economic challenges.
The ministry reiterated that the current registration fees will not be amended until a full review of the proposal is completed and all relevant parties consulted.
“The proposed fee adjustment was first considered in light of the increasing costs of conducting credible national examinations across the country,” the statement said. It said the registration fees for WAEC and NECO had remained largely unchanged for several years despite a significant increase in operational expenses.
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The ministry cited several factors contributing to the higher cost of organising the examinations, such as transportation and logistics, security arrangements, printing of examination materials, deployment of technology, quality assurance processes and other administrative services required to ensure the integrity of the examination system.
It also disclosed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, ordered that the proposal be placed on hold in accordance with the Federal Government’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
The government believes that major policy decisions that will affect millions of Nigerian students and their families should only be implemented after extensive consultation with all the stakeholders concerned, the statement said.
As part of the consultation process, the Federal Ministry of Education said it would hold discussions with examination bodies, state ministries of education, public and private school owners, school administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education experts and other critical stakeholders.
The ministry noted that the consultations are aimed at ensuring that any future decision on examination fees takes into account the realities of the education sector while safeguarding students’ access to affordable education.
It thus gave comfort to candidates preparing for the 2027 examinations that the proposed fee review would not come into effect until the consultation process has been completed and a final decision is announced.
The Federal Ministry of Education has restated the commitment of the government to equal access to quality education and to ensuring that policy decisions are taken based on fairness, transparency and the best interest of the Nigerian students.
The registration fee for both WAEC and NECO examinations for senior secondary school candidates was ₦27,500 before the proposed increase was suspended. The ministry promised to keep Nigerians abreast of developments as consultations progress and assured that any future decision would be openly communicated after adequate engagement with all stakeholders.
