•Nigeria not a lab for policy experiments — Atiku
•Suspension of hike in fees, victory for the people — Peter Obi
By Joseph Erunke, Omeiza Ajayi & Elizabeth Osayande
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, and his Nigeria Democratic Congress, ADC, counterpart, Peter Obi, in the 2027 elections yesterday, expressed excitement over the decision of the Federal Government to suspend the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations, WASSCE, and National Examinations Council, NECO, Senior School Certificate Examinations, SSCE.
Recall that the government had on Sunday, announced the increment of WAEC fees from N27,000 to N50,000 and NECO from N30,000 to same N50,000.
The proposed fee review drew very strong condemnations from stakeholders in the Nigerian project, including Atiku Abubakar and the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN.
Announcing the suspension yesterday, the Federal Ministry of Education, said the proposed adjustment in fees was being suspended, pending a comprehensive review of the policy.
The ministry, in a statement by its Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, explained that the decision followed reactions from Nigerians over the planned increase, adding that it had taken note of the public’s concerns and constructive feedback on the matter.
According to the ministry, the proposed fee review was initially driven by the country’s economic realities and the escalating cost of organising credible national examinations.
It explained that examination registration fees had remained largely unchanged for several years, despite rising operational expenses, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, deployment of technology, quality assurance and other critical services required to preserve the integrity of public examinations.
However, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal was being suspended in line with the federal government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
The ministry said the decision reflected its determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of students and their families were subjected to broad consultation and carefully weighed before implementation.
“As part of the fresh review process, the Ministry will engage extensively with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners,” the ministry said.
It added that the consultations would ensure that any future decision on examination fees was fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing economic realities while protecting access to education.
The ministry stressed that the proposed increase would not take effect until the consultation process was concluded and a final decision reached.
Reassuring Nigerians of the government’s commitment to education, the ministry said the welfare of students, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remained central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector.
It also thanked parents, students and other stakeholders for their understanding, patience and continued support, pledging to keep the public informed throughout the consultation process.
Nigeria not a lab for policy experiments – Atiku
Reacting to the suspension of the proposed hike yesterday, ADC presidential candidate in the 2027 elections, Atiku Abubakar, welcomed the federal government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase but declared that Nigeria would not continue to be governed as a laboratory for reckless policy experiments.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in Abuja, the former vice president described the reversal as a victory for millions of Nigerian parents, students, civil society organisations and citizens who refused to remain silent in the face of what he called an unjust policy.
According to him, the decision vindicates the concerns he had earlier raised that pricing public examinations beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians will deepen educational inequality, worsen the out-of-school children crisis and deny countless brilliant but indigent students the opportunity to pursue higher education.
“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.
“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty,” he said.
Atiku said it was becoming a disturbing pattern for the administration to announce harsh policies with little evidence of meaningful consultation, only to retreat when confronted by overwhelming public opposition, adding that such conduct does not amount to responsive governance but reflected poor policy formulation.
Suspension of WAEC/NECO exam fees, victory for the people – Peter Obi
On his part, the presidential candidate of NDC, Peter Obi, described the suspension as “a victory for the Nigerian people.”
Obi, who stated this in a post on his official X handle where he commended the government for listening to public outcry yesterday, stressed that the focus should have been on increased investment in basic education, rather than fee increments.
“I received the welcome news of the suspension of the newly introduced examination fees with relief. This is a victory for the Nigerian people.
“While I commend the authorities for listening to the widespread public outcry and suspending the policy, it must be said that the fee was an unnecessary burden that should never have been introduced at this time of great hardship, when we should be doing everything possible to invest in basic education and reduce the millions of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
“Education is a fundamental right and a public good, not a source of government revenue,” and called for the reversal of other “anti-people policies. I thank the citizens, parents, and advocacy groups whose voices made this reversal possible,” Obi wrote.
