The Federal Government has approved an increase in the registration fee for the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), raising the cost from ₦27,500 to ₦50,000.
The new fee, which takes effect from the 2027 NECO SSCE Internal Examination, has triggered widespread criticism from parents, education stakeholders and opposition figures, who argue that the decision will further limit access to education.
The approval was conveyed in a memo dated June 18, 2026, and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
According to the memo addressed to the Registrar of NECO, the Minister approved a new examination fee of ₦50,000 for candidates, directing the council to notify all relevant stakeholders of the development.
The increase comes amid mounting economic hardship across the country, with many households already grappling with rising food prices, transportation costs, electricity tariffs and declining purchasing power.
Reacting to the development, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, condemned the policy, describing it as insensitive and anti-poor.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that increasing examination fees at a time of severe economic hardship would place an additional burden on struggling families and deny many children access to education.
He maintained that education should remain a fundamental right rather than a privilege reserved for those who can afford it, stressing that governments should remove barriers to learning instead of creating new ones.
Atiku further noted that Nigeria already has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, warning that the latest increase in examination fees could worsen the crisis by forcing more students to abandon their education.
The announcement has continued to generate mixed reactions, with many Nigerians calling on the Federal Government to reconsider the policy in the interest of students and low-income families.
