The cost of sitting for Nigeria’s two major senior secondary examinations is set to nearly double, as the Federal Government has approved a new fee of ₦50,000 for both the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, examinations starting from the 2027 cycle.
The adjustment marks a sharp rise from the current ₦27,500 benchmark and has already sparked concern among parents, educators, and civil society groups who fear it could widen the gap in access to education.
FG Approves New Fee Structure
According to a statement dated June 18, 2026, and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Government gave approval for WAEC and NECO to increase their Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, registration fee to ₦50,000 per candidate. The new rate will take effect from the 2027 examination cycle, giving schools, parents and students about one year to prepare for the change.
For context, WAEC’s 2026 registration fee stands at ₦27,000, while NECO charges ₦22,250, with additional costs for items like late registration, photo albums and syllabus. The new ₦50,000 fee therefore represents an increase of over 80% from current WAEC rates and more than double the current NECO fee.
A History of Rising Examination Costs
This is not the first time examination fees have gone up. Education stakeholders note that both WAEC and NECO fees have been on a steady climb for years.
A former Ebonyi Commissioner for Education recalled that in 2000, registration for both WASSCE and NECO was ₦1,000. By 2001 it rose to ₦1,450 for WASSCE and ₦1,500 for NECO, and by 2002 it had climbed further to ₦1,800 for NECO and ₦1,650 for WASSCE.
In 2015, NECO and WASSCE fees stood at ₦5,500 and ₦5,350 respectively before jumping to ₦11,950 and ₦11,350. The Federal Government later reduced NECO SSCE fees from ₦11,500 to ₦9,850 and BECE from ₦5,500 to ₦4,000 to ease the burden on parents.
Despite past reductions, many states and private schools have continued to charge far above the official rates. In Niger State, lawmakers accused some private schools of charging as high as ₦250,000 to ₦300,000 per student for WAEC and NECO, against the official fees of ₦15,000 for WAEC and ₦11,000 for NECO.
What This Means for Parents and Students
The jump to ₦50,000 comes at a time when many households are already grappling with inflation, fuel costs, and school fees. For families with multiple children in SS3, the new fee could mean spending ₦100,000 to ₦200,000 just for external exams.
Education advocates warn that the increase may force some students, especially from low-income homes, to drop out or defer their exams. “The sudden increase in NECO and WASSCE fees poses danger to the education sector,” a former commissioner noted, arguing it could deny children from less privileged homes access to these important certificate examinations.
Some states are already stepping in to cushion the effect. In April 2026, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas released ₦1.39 billion to cover WAEC fees for 39,536 public school students, and approved over ₦1.6 billion for NECO, BECE and NABTEB registration. The government said the intervention was part of its free and compulsory education policy aimed at removing financial barriers.
Government and School Oversight
The Federal Ministry of Education says the fee review is necessary to improve the quality and administration of examinations. However, state governments are warning schools against exploiting the new rate.
The Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency has directed principals to refund excess WAEC/NECO charges and stick strictly to the approved handling charge of ₦5,000 per student. The agency warned that any school collecting more than ₦5,000 as service charge would face sanctions.
Similarly, the Benue government said no school should insist on payment of three terms’ fees at once, noting that the administration is working to “put smiles on the faces of Benue state residents” and reduce unnecessary burdens.
Looking Ahead to 2027
With the new fee set to begin in 2027, attention will now shift to how schools, parents and government will adapt. WAEC is also pushing forward with digital reforms, including the rollout of WAEC DigiCert across five West African countries to allow candidates to access certificates online, while the House of Representatives has asked the Ministry of Education and WAEC to suspend the planned introduction of Computer-Based Testing for the 2026 WASSCE.
For millions of Nigerian students, WAEC and NECO remain the gateway to university and career opportunities. The ₦50,000 fee approval signals a new reality: the cost of that gateway has gone up significantly.
Whether the increase translates to better services, improved exam security, and reduced malpractice remains to be seen. For now, parents across the country are doing the maths, and hoping that no child is left behind because of the price of a certificate.
