By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Federal Government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) to enable extensive consultations with critical stakeholders.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18th June 2026, has been withdrawn pending a comprehensive review of the proposal and wider stakeholder engagement before any final decision is reached.
The Ministry acknowledged the concerns, observations and constructive feedback expressed by Nigerians following the announcement of the proposed fee review and appreciated the active public interest in policies that affect access to quality education.
The proposed adjustment was necessitated by prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of administering credible public examinations. Existing registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational expenses, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, deployment of technology, quality assurance and other critical services required to sustain the integrity, credibility and efficiency of national examinations.
However, in keeping with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive governance, transparency and evidence-based policymaking, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has directed that the proposed fee review be suspended to allow for broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders.
The decision reflects the Ministry’s resolve to ensure that policies affecting millions of Nigerian students and their families are developed through a participatory process and are responsive to prevailing socio-economic realities while advancing the collective national interest.
As part of the review process, the Ministry will engage extensively with examination bodies, State Ministries of Education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders, development partners and other critical interest groups. The consultations will seek to ensure that any future decision on examination registration fees is fair, transparent, sustainable and sensitive to the needs of Nigerian learners while preserving equitable access to quality education.
Accordingly, the proposed review of the 2027 WASSCE and NECO SSCE registration fees will not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process has been concluded and a final decision is made.
The Federal Ministry of Education reassured Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to protecting the interests and welfare of students, promoting equitable access to quality education and implementing policies that support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, for the education sector.
The Ministry said it appreciates the understanding, patience and continued support of all stakeholders and remains committed to keeping the public fully informed throughout the consultation process.
