WAEC, NECO 2027: FG Suspends Proposed ₦50,000 Registration Fee

The Federal Government has suspended its proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), following concerns raised by Nigerians over the cost of public examinations.

The proposed adjustment would have increased the examination registration fee to ₦50,000 per candidate, with both WAEC and NECO expected to adopt a uniform fee structure from 2027.

However, the Federal Ministry of Education announced on July 13, 2026, that the proposed increase had been placed on hold. The ministry also withdrew its earlier communication dated June 18, which conveyed the approval of the new fee.

The announcement means that the proposed ₦50,000 registration fee is not currently an approved rate for implementation. The government said it would conduct further consultations with relevant stakeholders before making a final decision.

The development is important for parents and students preparing for the 2027 examinations, particularly those who may have started making financial arrangements for their children’s final secondary school examinations.

Why the Federal Government Proposed a ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO Fee

The initial proposal followed discussions between the Federal Ministry of Education and examination bodies during a meeting held on March 31, 2026.

According to the ministry’s earlier communication, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, directed the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council to adopt a uniform registration fee for their Senior School Certificate Examinations.

The proposed ₦50,000 charge represented a significant increase from the fees previously reported for the two examinations. WAEC registration was reported at about ₦27,500, while NECO’s internal examination fee was reported at ₦30,000.

The government explained that the proposed review was influenced by the rising cost of conducting credible public examinations in Nigeria.

Some of the expenses identified by the ministry included transportation and logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment and quality assurance.

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These are among the operational requirements involved in organising examinations for thousands of secondary school students across the country.

However, the proposal attracted criticism from parents, education stakeholders and other Nigerians who expressed concerns about the additional financial pressure it could place on households.

For many families, registering a child for WAEC and NECO already comes alongside other school expenses, including tuition, textbooks, uniforms, transportation and other examination preparations.

The possibility of paying ₦50,000 for each examination therefore raised questions about how families with limited incomes would manage the additional cost.

What the Suspension Means for 2027 Candidates

In its July 13 announcement, the Federal Ministry of Education said the proposed fee adjustment would not take effect pending the conclusion of wider consultations.

The ministry said it would engage examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders before reaching a final decision.

It also acknowledged the concerns raised by members of the public, particularly regarding access to education and the financial implications of increasing examination fees.

For students preparing for the 2027 WAEC and NECO examinations, the important thing to understand is that the proposed ₦50,000 charge should not be treated as a confirmed registration fee.

Parents should also avoid making payments based on unofficial announcements or information circulating on social media. They should wait for official registration guidelines and fee information from the examination bodies and their schools.

Meanwhile, the 2027 NECO SSCE Internal registration has commenced. According to the National Examinations Council, registration runs from November 2, 2026, to February 26, 2027. Late registration is scheduled to run from February 27 to March 5, 2027, while the examination is scheduled to hold from April 1 to May 11, 2027.

The registration schedule is separate from the question of the proposed uniform fee, which the Federal Ministry of Education said was still under review.

The eventual decision will be important not only to candidates but also to state governments that support the registration of students in public secondary schools.

In some states, government assistance helps parents cover the cost of public examinations. Any significant adjustment to registration fees could therefore have implications for education budgets and the level of support available to students.

For now, parents and candidates will have to rely on official updates as the government continues its review of the proposed fee adjustment.

The Federal Ministry of Education has not announced a final replacement fee in its suspension statement. It said Nigerians would be kept informed as consultations progress.

Until a fresh decision is communicated, the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO registration fee remains on hold.