By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

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 government last week announced the jacking up of the fees from N27,500 to N50,000.

However, in a statement on Monday July 13, 2026, signed by Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken.

According to the statement, the Ministry acknowledged the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public and appreciates the keen interest shown by Nigerians in matters relating to access to quality education.

The statement read: “The proposed review was informed by the prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting credible national examinations.

“The current examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational costs, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other essential services required to maintain the integrity and credibility of public examinations across the country.

“Nevertheless, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.

“This decision underscores the Ministry’s determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of Nigerian students and their families are carefully considered, socially responsive and reflect the collective interest of the nation.

“As part of the fresh review process, the Ministry will further engage extensively with examination bodies, State Ministries of Education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners to ensure that any future decision is fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing realities while safeguarding access to education.

“Accordingly, the proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process.

“The Federal Ministry of Education reassures Nigerians that the welfare of students, equitable access to quality education and responsible policy decisions remain at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, for the education sector.

“The Ministry appreciates the understanding, patience and continued support of all stakeholders and remains committed to keeping the public fully informed throughout the consultation process.”, it added.

The Federal Government’s approval of a N50,000 registration fee for National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) from 2027 has attracted mixed reactions from education stakeholders.

In separate interviews on Sunday in Abuja, some of the stakeholders described the increase as excessive and unaffordable, warning it could worsen financial pressure on families and students.

Others urged the government to review the decision, introduce subsidies for vulnerable candidates, and ensure any fee adjustment reflects prevailing economic realities and wider stakeholder consultations.

However, some stakeholders supported the review, arguing that improved funding could strengthen certificate verification, digital infrastructure and service delivery if implemented with transparency and affordability safeguards.

The approval was conveyed by the Federal Ministry of Education in a memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim.

The memo was signed on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, following a directive to harmonise WAEC and NECO Senior School Certificate Examination registration fees.

Under the approval, NECO’s SSCE internal fee will rise from N30,000 to N50,000, while WAEC’s will increase from N27,000 to N50,000 from 2027.

An educationist, Beatrice Oke, described the increase as excessive despite acknowledging rising operational and logistics costs.

“The percentage increase is too high, although we expected a review after some time due to rising logistics costs.

“However, many average Nigerians may not afford the new fees, and this could force some students out of school,” she said.

Oke urged the government to review the increase or introduce measures to cushion its impact on low-income households.

She said affordable examination fees were vital to sustaining access to education and preventing more children from dropping out of school.

She also urged governments at all levels to expand subsidies and intervention programmes for vulnerable students to guarantee equitable access to education.

A private school owner, Funmilayo Soyoye, also described the increase as excessive.

She said many graduates seeking employment or admission for further studies might struggle to pay the new fee.

“Certificate verification is a mandatory requirement for many academic and employment processes and should remain affordable.

“The government should consider the economic realities facing Nigerians before approving such a sharp increase.

“This policy may discourage many young people from pursuing opportunities that require certificate verification,” she said.

Another school owner, who preferred anonymity, urged the government to justify the increase.

The proprietor said any fee review should be transparent and reflect improvements in service delivery.

According to the school owner, certificate verification should become faster, more efficient and more accessible.

A parent, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ibrahim, appealed to the government to rescind the decision in the interest of students and job seekers.

He said the increase would worsen hardship for families already grappling with rising education costs.

Ibrahim urged the authorities to engage stakeholders and adopt a more moderate pricing structure.

However, an education consultant, Olamide Ogunkoya, said the review might be justified if it strengthened certificate verification and digital infrastructure.

She said investment in secure verification systems would curb certificate fraud and enhance the credibility of Nigerian examination bodies.

Ogunkoya urged the government to balance cost recovery with citizens’ access to essential public services.

She also called for wider consultations before implementing major education policies, stressing that affordability and accessibility should remain central to reforms.

The memo, directed to the Registrar, NECO, conveying the increase, read:

“Re: Upward review of registration fees for examinations conducted by NECO.

“The West African Examinations Council has requested an upward review of the examination fees for the Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates, with effect from 2027.

“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fee was discussed, the Honourable Minister of Education directed that WAEC and NECOshould adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of the SSCE.

“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) only, as the new examination fee for candidates with effect from NECO SSCE internal 2027.

“You are to bring the content of this letter to all stakeholders.

“Please accept the Honourable Minister’s warm regards.”

A man suspected of killing his wife and two daughters in Bedfordshire has been in court in South Africa after UK authorities submitted an application to extradite him.

Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and her daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead by police in a house in Great Denham, near Bedford, on 6 July.

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised three murder charges against Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, who is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage.

He has appeared before magistrates in Johannesburg where he confirmed his name and was told a further court hearing would take place on 22 July.

During the hearing he indicated he would be speaking in English.

His mother and sister were seated in the court’s public gallery, and Tshuma waved to his family as he was taken down to the holding cells at the end of Monday’s hearing.

South African police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe explained that the court proceedings concern the extradition request and a charge of illegal possession of firearms.

She said: “We can confirm that South Africa has received a provisional extradition request from Interpol Manchester through to Interpol Pretoria.

“We will be awaiting a full extradition request within 40 days, which will include the case docket as well as supporting evidence.

“However, we can confirm that, for now, we do have the warrant of arrest from UK authorities.”

Police added that he travelled from Heathrow Airport in London to South Africa, via Dubai, and he briefly went to Zimbabwe before returning to Johannesburg.

He was arrested in the Kensington suburb of the city on Friday.

In a tribute, family members said “words cannot begin to express the depth of our emptiness and sorrow in the fact of this tragic and senseless loss of life”.