The Federal Government has suspended its proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination (NECO SSCE).
The decision comes after widespread public concerns over the planned increase, which would have raised the registration fee from N27,500 to N50,000. Moreover, the move has brought temporary relief to parents, students and school owners across the country.
The government said the proposal has been placed on hold to allow wider consultations with key stakeholders before any final decision is made. Consequently, no new examination fees will take effect until the review process is completed.
According to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, the letter dated June 18, 2026, which communicated the proposed adjustment, has now been withdrawn.
The statement was signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
It stated, “The Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken.”
The proposed increase would have raised the registration fee for both WAEC and NECO examinations by about 82 percent from 2027.
However, the government explained that the review became necessary because of the rising cost of organising public examinations across Nigeria.
According to the ministry, examination fees have remained almost unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.
Officials noted that higher costs involving logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment and quality assurance have continued to place financial pressure on examination bodies.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has directed that the planned increase should not proceed until consultations are concluded.
The ministry stated, “The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.”
Furthermore, the ministry stressed that no adjustment would be introduced without engaging all affected groups.
The consultation process will involve examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors, school administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other relevant partners.
According to the ministry, the aim is to ensure that any future decision reflects public interest and receives adequate input from those directly affected.
In addition, officials reaffirmed that the welfare of students remains a major priority for the Federal Government.
The ministry said policies affecting education must balance financial realities with access to quality learning opportunities.
Therefore, every proposal will continue to be examined carefully before implementation.
Parents and education advocates had expressed concerns that the proposed increase could make public examinations more difficult to afford for many students.
Consequently, the government’s latest decision has been welcomed by many stakeholders who called for wider consultations before any increase is approved.
