Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the party’s presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, have welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced on Monday, July 13, 2026, that the planned fee hike had been suspended pending a comprehensive review of the policy.
The government had earlier proposed increasing the WAEC registration fee from ₦27,000 to ₦50,000 and the NECO fee from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, a move that triggered widespread criticism from parents, education stakeholders and opposition figures.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, the government said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from Nigerians.
According to the ministry, the proposed increase was prompted by rising costs associated with conducting credible public examinations, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment and quality assurance.
It, however, said Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be suspended in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
The ministry added that it would begin extensive consultations with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school owners, parents’ associations, organised labour and other stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
It also assured Nigerians that the proposed increase would not take effect until the consultation process was concluded.
Reacting to the development, Atiku described the suspension as a victory for Nigerian parents, students and civil society groups who opposed the proposed increase.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the decision showed that the government had initially failed to properly consult Nigerians before announcing the policy.
He warned against what he described as policy experimentation, insisting that governance should be driven by consultation rather than public outrage.
“The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: Why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” he said.
Peter Obi also praised the Federal Government for suspending the proposed increase, describing the decision as “a victory for the Nigerian people.”
Writing on his official X account, Obi said the proposed fee hike would have placed additional financial pressure on families already struggling with the country’s economic challenges.
He argued that the government’s priority should be expanding access to quality education rather than increasing examination fees.
“Education is a fundamental right and a public good, not a source of government revenue,” Obi said, while urging the government to review other policies he described as unfavourable to Nigerians.
Truth Live News gathered that the proposed fee increase had attracted widespread condemnation from parents, education stakeholders and civil society organisations, prompting the Federal Government to suspend the policy and commence wider consultations before making any final decision.
