Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
However, the former vice president argued that the reversal highlighted shortcomings in the government’s policy planning and consultation process.
Says policy should not have reached the public
In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the suspension as a victory for parents, students, labour unions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders who opposed the proposed fee adjustment.
According to him, the government should have engaged relevant stakeholders before announcing a policy that generated widespread public concern.
He questioned why major policy decisions are often reviewed only after strong public opposition.
Calls for better consultation
Atiku said effective governance requires broad consultation and careful planning before policies are introduced.
He maintained that education should remain accessible to all Nigerians, warning that higher examination fees could place additional pressure on families already dealing with inflation and the rising cost of living.
The former vice president added that public examinations should not become financially out of reach for students from low-income households.
Urges sustainable funding for examination bodies
While supporting the suspension, Atiku called on the Federal Government to work with examination bodies, state governments, school owners, parents’ associations, organised labour and other stakeholders to develop a long-term funding model for WAEC and NECO.
He said such a framework should strengthen the examination bodies without transferring additional financial burdens to parents.
Government explains suspension
The Federal Government recently announced that the proposed increase in registration fees for the 2027 WASSCE and NECO examinations had been suspended.
According to the Ministry of Education, the decision was taken to allow wider consultations with stakeholders before any review is implemented.
The ministry also stated that the proposed adjustment was initially considered because of rising operational costs, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment and quality assurance.