FG increases WAEC, NECO fees
The Federal Government has approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) from 2027.
The approval, granted through the Federal Ministry of Education, will increase the cost of registering for the examinations. NECO’s fee will rise from N30,000 to N50,000, while WAEC’s registration fee will move from N27,000 to the same amount.
The decision has attracted criticism from parents, education stakeholders and politicians, who believe the increase will place more financial pressure on families already struggling with the rising cost of living.
WAEC recently concluded its 2026 SSCE for school candidates, while NECO is still conducting this year’s examination.
A ministry memo dated June 18, 2026, approved the new fee and was signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
The document stated that both examination bodies would adopt a uniform registration fee from the 2027 examination cycle after discussions held with the minister earlier this year.
The ministry also instructed NECO to notify all relevant stakeholders about the new fee.
