The Federal Government has suspended the proposed upward review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, pending broader consultations with key stakeholders.
The suspension was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education. The ministry said the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.
The statement, signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the decision 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Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.
The ministry explained that the proposed review was driven by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations. It noted that registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.
It cited higher costs of logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the credibility and integrity of public examinations.
The statement added that the Minister of Education, 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.
According to the ministry, the suspension reflects its commitment to ensuring that policies affecting students and their families are carefully considered and responsive to public interest.
It said consultations would 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.
Consequently, the proposed review of examination registration fees will 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.
Prior to the suspension, the Federal Government had approved N50,000 as the new registration fee for WAEC and NECO examinations for secondary school candidates from 2027, up from the existing fee of N27,500. The proposed increase represented an 82 per cent hike.
In a statement dated June 18, 2026, the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, said the approval followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of the fee for the Senior School Certificate Examination from 2027.
The proposed increase had drawn criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students, who opposed the plan to impose a uniform N50,000 examination fee on candidates.
