Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to approve a uniform N50,000 registration fee for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), warning that the policy could further limit access to education for millions of Nigerian students.
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, approved the adoption of a uniform N50,000 registration fee for WAEC and NECO SSCE internal examinations, effective from 2027.
Under the new arrangement, NECO’s registration fee will increase from N30,000 to N50,000 per candidate, while WAEC’s fee will rise from N27,000 to the same amount.
The approval was contained in a memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education. The memo, addressed to the Registrar of NECO, stated that the decision followed a meeting between the ministry and examination bodies held on March 31, 2026, where stakeholders agreed to adopt a harmonised fee structure.
Reacting in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the planned increase as “cruel, economically insensitive and fundamentally incompatible” with the government’s obligation to make education accessible to every Nigerian child.
He argued that the policy comes at a time when many households are grappling with rising inflation, escalating food and transportation costs, higher electricity tariffs, unemployment and declining purchasing power.
“It is unconscionable that at a time when Nigerian families are battling record inflation, soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, crippling electricity tariffs, stagnant incomes and widespread unemployment, the Tinubu administration has chosen to make education even more expensive,” Atiku said.
The former vice president maintained that education remains one of the most important pathways to social mobility, warning that higher examination fees could force more children out of school and deny qualified students the opportunity to pursue higher education.
“Every additional financial burden imposed on parents translates into another child being denied the opportunity to learn, dream and contribute meaningfully to society,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria already has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children and argued that government efforts should be focused on reducing educational barriers rather than introducing policies that could worsen the situation.
“Nigeria already bears the painful distinction of having one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Any government confronted with such a national emergency should be investing aggressively to bring these children back into school,” he added.
Atiku further warned that the increase in WAEC and NECO fees, alongside the recent hike in fees for Federal Unity Colleges, would disproportionately affect low- and middle-income families already struggling to meet basic needs.
According to him, many academically qualified students may be unable to sit for the qualifying examinations required for admission into tertiary institutions due to financial constraints.
“The recent increase in WAEC and NECO examination fees represents far more than another financial burden on parents. It is a systemic filter that will inevitably restrict access to tertiary education for thousands of indigent but academically qualified Nigerian students,” he stated.
He also criticised the Federal Government’s reliance on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that student loans cannot solve the challenges facing children who are unable to complete secondary education or afford examination fees.
“A university loan offers little comfort to a child who has already been priced out of secondary education or cannot afford the qualifying examination required to secure admission,” he said.
Atiku called on the Federal Government to prioritise investment in educational infrastructure, recruit more qualified teachers, expand the capacity of public tertiary institutions and implement policies that ensure poverty does not determine a child’s access to education.
He urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to immediately reverse the increase in Unity School fees and the proposed N50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fees, while convening stakeholders to develop sustainable funding mechanisms for public education.