Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Trainees (NANS) have actually criticised the Federal Government’s decision to present an uniform N50,000 registration cost for the West African Elder School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination starting in 2027.
Both celebrations argued that the planned boost would place additional monetary pressure on families and make secondary school certification more difficult for lots of trainees, especially those from low-income households.
The proposed cost represents an increase of about 82 per cent from the current N27,500 registration cost.
The approval was included in a June 18, 2026, regulation signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim.
According to the ministry, the choice followed conversations held on March 31, 2026, in between the Minister of Education and examination bodies, during which the requirement to examine examination charges was considered.
The ministry explained that the minister approved a harmonised evaluation cost of N50,000 for candidates sitting both WAEC and NECO Elder School Certificate Assessments from the 2027 evaluation cycle.
The regulation advised the assessment bodies to communicate the brand-new charge to all pertinent stakeholders.
The Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, also confirmed that the government had actually authorized the modified examination charges.
Reacting to the development, Atiku explained the choice as insensitive to the economic truths dealing with Nigerians.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President argued that increasing assessment costs, along with the recent hike in Federal Unity Colleges’ charges, would even more strain homes currently battling inflation, high transportation expenses, increasing electricity tariffs and prevalent joblessness.
According to him, education must remain accessible to every Nigerian child instead of becoming progressively costly.
He kept that education remains among the most reliable tools for minimizing hardship and warned that higher costs would deepen inequality by restricting chances for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Atiku also expressed issue that Nigeria already has one of the world’s biggest populations of out-of-school kids, noting that federal government policies need to focus on broadening access to education instead of creating extra barriers.
He argued that many parents were already struggling to meet fundamental family needs and school expenses, adding that greater evaluation charges could prevent academically qualified trainees from progressing to tertiary education.
The former Vice President even more mentioned that increasing the expense of certifying assessments would decrease access to universities, especially at a time when public tertiary organizations are currently not able to admit numerous thousands of eligible candidates due to minimal capability.
He questioned the government’s focus on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, stating student loans would use little benefit to children unable to finish secondary education or manage the evaluations needed for university admission.
Atiku contacted President Bola Tinubu to reverse both the boost in Unity School fees and the proposed examination cost, while urging the federal government to convene a stakeholders’ conference to explore sustainable ways of funding public education.
He likewise promoted greater financial investment in public schools, improved infrastructure, recruitment of more teachers and expanded admission chances in tertiary organizations.
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NANS also turned down the proposed charge, describing it as severe and insensitive to the predicament of Nigerian students and their households.
In a declaration, the association’s President, Babatunde Akinteye, prompted the Federal government to withdraw the proposal, arguing that it would aggravate the financial problem already faced by numerous households.
According to him, if candidates select to register for both WAEC and NECO under the brand-new plan, they would invest N100,000 on examination registration alone, leaving out service charges imposed by schools.
He said such expenses would put secondary school accreditation beyond the reach of numerous children from bad families.
Akinteye also faulted the decision-making procedure, alleging that the Federal Ministry of Education failed to engage trainee representatives before authorizing a policy that straight impacts countless prospects across the country.
He kept that education authorities must focus on making evaluations more economical instead of presenting extra monetary responsibilities during a duration of economic hardship.
The student body advised the ministry to reverse the proposed cost increase and make sure that trainee agents are consulted before future policies affecting learners are implemented.
The proposed adjustment has continued to draw in criticism from moms and dads, education stakeholders and student groups, a number of whom fear that greater evaluation expenses might further limit access to secondary education and worsen instructional inequality across the nation.