The Campaign for Equal Rights and Opportunities for All Nigerians (CERON) has condemned the reported approval of the Federal Government to raise the registration fee for the West African Examinations Council, (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to N50,000.
The Tripod Times reports that the Civil Society Organisation, in a statement by its Secretary, Francis Odiir, described the decision as insensitive to the current economic hardship millions of Nigerians are facing.
The group has, therefore, urged the Federal Government to reverse the decision immediately.
It also cautioned that the higher examination fees could worsen Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis by forcing many students to abandon their education because their parents can no longer afford the cost.
The reaction came as the Federal Ministry of Education gave a directive approving the new registration fee for candidates sitting for WAEC and NECO examinations.
“Parents are already battling to provide food for their families, not to mention quality education. At a time like this, increasing examination fees is simply not right. Rather than easing the burden on citizens, the government is adding to their hardship,” Odiir said.
The organisation argued that the increase would place an additional financial burden on parents already struggling with rising food prices, inflation and the high cost of living.
CERON lamented that the policy reflects a lack of understanding of the harsh economic realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
“The approval of the increase in examination fees is a clear indication that those in charge of this country do not understand the magnitude of the pain and suffering Nigerians are going through,” he added.
Unless the government rescinds its decision, the approved new uniform registration fee of ₦50,000 for WAEC and NECO Senior School Certificate Examinations, starts from 2027. It, however, has a potential impact on accessibility for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Over 1.95 million candidates from 24,207 schools participated in the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE). Female candidates accounted for 51.08% of the enrollment, slightly outnumbering male participants.
