Nigeria’s Ministry of Education has suspended the 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, SSCE, pending wider consultations with key stakeholders.
The Ministry announced on Monday that it had withdrawn its June 18, 2026 letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment to allow for a comprehensive review and broader engagement before any final decision is reached.
According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, the government took the decision following public concerns and constructive feedback from Nigerians, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that policies affecting education are developed through an inclusive, transparent and evidence-based process.
The Ministry explained that the proposed fee review was necessitated by prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting credible public examinations.
It noted that examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational expenses, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other critical services required to safeguard the integrity of the examinations.
However, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be suspended in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive policymaking and broad stakeholder engagement.
The Ministry said the decision reflects its determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of students and their families are carefully considered, socially responsive and aligned with the collective interest of the nation.
It added that the fresh review process would involve extensive consultations with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners.
According to the Ministry, the consultations are intended to ensure that any future decision on examination registration fees is fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing economic realities while protecting access to quality education.
Consequently, the proposed review of registration fees for WAEC and NECO examinations will not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process is concluded.
The Ministry reassured Nigerians that the welfare of students, equitable access to quality education and responsible policy decisions remain central to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for the education sector.
It also thanked Nigerians for their understanding, patience and continued support, assuring the public that it would provide regular updates throughout the consultation process.
