FG suspends N50,000 WAEC, NECO fee hike after public backlash

The Federal Government has suspended its proposed N50,000 WAEC and NECO registration fee, an 82 per cent increase from N27,500, following public backlash, and says it will now hold wider consultations with stakeholders before any final decision.

The Federal Government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 WAEC and NECO Senior School Certificate Examinations, pending wider consultations with stakeholders.

In a Monday statement, the Federal Ministry of Education said the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.

According to The Punch,the release, signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public.

“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Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.

According to the ministry, the proposed hike was driven by rising costs of conducting national examinations, noting that fees had remained largely unchanged for years despite growing expenses in logistics, security, printing, technology deployment and quality assurance.

The statement said the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the government’s commitment to inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.

“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,” it said.

The ministry said consultations would now be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other stakeholders before any decision is reached.

Accordingly, the proposed fee review will not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process concludes.

The ministry reiterated that students’ welfare and equitable access to quality education remain central to the government’s education agenda, and pledged to keep the public informed throughout the process.

The proposal, before its suspension, would have raised the fee from N27,500 to N50,000 — an 82 per cent increase.