The Federal Ministry of Education has officially authorized the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to implement a unified registration fee of N50,000 for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), effective from 2027. This decision, formalized in a June 18, 2026, memo signed by the Ministry’s Director of Senior Secondary Education, Mr. Adeniji Ibrahim, aims to standardize costs for these major examinations.
The price adjustment represents a significant hike, raising the NECO fee from N30,000 and the WAEC fee from N27,000 to the new flat rate. This move has sparked substantial backlash from educational stakeholders and political figures. The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) expressed strong disapproval, with Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, arguing that a 25 percent increase would have been more reasonable than the current shift, which exceeds 75 percent. He warned that the financial strain could prevent many students from completing their final secondary school assessments.
Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, criticized the policy as both insensitive and contradictory to the government’s duty to provide accessible education. Represented by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, he highlighted that amid severe national economic hardship, such measures threaten to increase the population of out-of-school children, which already sits between 10.5 and 15 million. He urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the increase and prioritize sustainable, affordable education funding over restrictive financial barriers.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has indicated it is monitoring the situation, while concerns remain that the increase will compound debts for state governments that currently subsidize exam costs for their students. Many parents now fear that children in regions without government support may find the prospect of taking their final exams increasingly out of reach.
