Parents to pay ₦50,000 for WAEC, NECO from 2027 as FG approves fee hike — see details

• The Federal Government has approved a uniform ₦50,000 fee for WAEC and NECO examinations from 2027.

• NANS and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have criticised the increase, calling it insensitive.

• The new fee comes as families grapple with rising living costs and inflation across the country.

The Federal Government has approved a new examination fee of ₦50,000 for candidates sitting the West African Examinations Council and National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examinations, nearly doubling what families currently pay and setting off a wave of criticism from across the country.

The increase, which takes effect from 2027, was contained in a memo dated June 18 and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim.

The decision followed a March 31 meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies, where a review of fees was discussed. The minister subsequently directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform rate going forward.

WAEC candidates currently pay ₦27,000, while NECO candidates pay ₦30,000. Under the new arrangement, both examinations will cost ₦50,000 per candidate, meaning families whose children sit both exams will pay a combined ₦100,000, excluding additional charges levied by schools.

The National Association of Nigerian Students was among the first to push back, rejecting the increase and describing it as insensitive to the economic realities facing Nigerian families. NANS also criticised the process itself, arguing that a decision of this scale should not have been made without consulting student representatives.

"Anything for us, without us, is against us," the association said in a statement signed by its president, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the hike as cruel and economically insensitive, warning that it would deepen Nigeria's out-of-school crisis at a time when between 10.5 million and 15 million Nigerian children are already outside the classroom.

"A government cannot credibly claim to be expanding access to higher education while simultaneously erecting financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from ever reaching the university gates," Atiku said, calling on President Tinubu to reverse the increase immediately.

The timing has drawn particular criticism. Nigeria is currently dealing with record inflation, rising food and transportation costs, and stagnant incomes, conditions that have already made secondary education difficult to sustain for low-income families.

Several state governments currently cover WAEC registration fees for public school students. Lagos State, for instance, pays the fee for eligible candidates. The new rate is expected to place additional pressure on state budgets already stretched by multiple competing obligations.

The Federal Ministry of Education has not issued a public justification for the size of the increase beyond referencing the March meeting and WAEC's original request for an upward review.

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