By Peter Omopo
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).
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the decision in a statement issued on Monday and signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade. According to the ministry, the suspension followed concerns raised by stakeholders over the planned fee adjustment.
The ministry explained that although the proposed increase was necessitated by rising costs associated with conducting public examinations, the implementation has now been put on hold.
It noted that the proposed review was informed by increasing expenses related to logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance, and other essential services required to maintain the credibility and integrity of public examinations.
The statement further disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the planned fee increase be suspended pending wider consultations with relevant stakeholders.
In line with the directive, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, ordered that the proposal be placed on hold as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to easing education-related financial burdens on Nigerians.
The ministry said it would commence extensive consultations with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, and other key stakeholders before reaching any decision on a future review.
It stressed that no adjustment to examination registration fees would take effect until the consultation process is completed and a consensus is reached.
Reaffirming its commitment to the education sector, the ministry assured Nigerians that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education, and responsible policymaking remain central to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The government also reiterated that any future decision on examination fees would be guided by fairness, transparency, sustainability, and prevailing economic realities while ensuring continued access to quality education for all Nigerian students.
