The Federal Government has suspended the proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, pending wider consultations with stakeholders.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education, which said the June 18, 2026 letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.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, Folasade Boriowo, said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public.
“The letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the proposed increase was necessitated by the rising cost of conducting national examinations, noting that registration fees have remained largely unchanged for years despite increasing operational expenses.
It listed logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other essential services among the factors driving the proposed review.
The ministry said the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be suspended in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
It added that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders before any decision is reached.
The ministry stressed that the proposed fee review would not take effect until the consultation process is concluded.
It also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting students’ welfare, promoting equitable access to quality education and ensuring responsible policymaking, pledging to keep the public informed throughout the consultation process.
The government had earlier approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting the 2027 WAEC and NECO Senior School Certificate Examinations, 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 registration fees.
The proposed increase had drawn criticism from several stakeholders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students, who urged the government to reverse the decision over concerns about the financial burden on parents and students.
