The Federal Government of Nigeria has suspended the proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) following widespread public criticism.
The Ministry of Education said the earlier directive approving the fee review has been withdrawn pending further consultations.
It explained that the proposed increase was driven by rising operational costs, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment and quality assurance.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, ordered the suspension of the proposal to allow for wider consultations with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors, parents’ associations, labour unions and other key stakeholders.
The Federal Government assured Nigerians that no increase in WAEC and NECO registration fees will take effect until the consultation process is concluded and a final decision is reached.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to keeping quality education affordable while pursuing policies that are fair, transparent and responsive to the country’s economic realities.