The Federal Government has suspended the proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations following widespread public criticism and opposition to the policy.
The decision, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education on Monday, July 13, 2026, puts on hold the planned uniform ₦50,000 registration fee scheduled to take effect from the 2027 examination cycle.
The suspension came barely 24 hours after the proposal attracted widespread condemnation from civil society organisations, parents’ associations and prominent political figures.
Former Vice President and opposition leader, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had strongly criticised the proposed increase over the weekend, accusing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of “pricing poor children out of education” and treating a fundamental human right as a luxury.
Amid the growing backlash and concerns over possible student-led protests across major metropolitan areas, the Minister of Education reportedly directed an immediate review of the upward adjustment.
The ministry acknowledged that the arguments advanced by WAEC and NECO over rising administrative costs and inflation were valid from an operational standpoint. It, however, noted that the current macroeconomic realities and disposable income of the average Nigerian household made an 82 per cent increase unsustainable at this time.
Under the suspended proposal, registration fees for both WAEC and NECO internal examinations were expected to rise from the existing baseline of ₦27,500 to ₦50,000 in 2027.
With the suspension, the existing ₦27,500 fee will remain in place for candidates registering for the 2027 internal examinations, saving parents and guardians an additional ₦22,500 per candidate.
To prevent WAEC and NECO from experiencing severe operational difficulties as a result of the suspension, the Federal Government also announced the immediate establishment of an inter-agency stakeholders’ committee.
The committee is expected to include representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, WAEC, NECO, the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NPTAN) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
It has been mandated to explore alternative education financing models, including the possibility of direct Federal Government subsidies to the examination bodies.
The proposed intervention is expected to help cushion the rising costs of logistics, printing and distribution faced by the examination bodies without transferring the financial burden to struggling families, particularly those with children in public schools.
The Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase has been widely welcomed by labour unions and education advocates, who described the development as a victory for ordinary Nigerians.
Analysts also believe the swift reversal reflects the administration’s growing responsiveness to public pressure, particularly on sensitive issues affecting grassroots education and human capital development.
