Nigerian parents will pay ₦50,000 to register each child for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) from 2027, following Federal Government approval of a new unified examination fee.
The new fee represents an 82 per cent increase from the current ₦27,500 registration charge.
The approval was contained in a June 18 statement signed by Adeniji Ibrahim, Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, following a request by WAEC for an upward review of the SSCE registration fee.
According to the ministry, the decision followed a March 31, 2026 meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies, where the rising cost of conducting the examinations and the need for a fee review were discussed.
The minister also directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform registration fee for the Senior School Certificate Examinations.
The planned increase has already sparked criticism from students, parents and opposition figures, who argue that the higher registration cost will place an additional financial burden on families already grappling with rising living expenses.
