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From Ndubuisi Orji, Sola Ojo, Abuja and Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has described the suspension of the proposed increase in West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) fees by the Federal Government as a victory for Nigerians.
This is as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, despite welcoming the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the policy, said the hike should never have been introduced in the first place.
Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the suspension of the hike was a vindication of his concerns about the policy.
The Federal Government, last weekend, approved a uniform fee of N50, 000 for SSCE candidates beginning from next year. Prior to the increase, fees for NECO and WAEC were N30, 000 and N27, 000 respectively.
The announcement of the hike was greeted by criticisms, with Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, describing it as cruel and insensitive, noting that it would impose more financial burden on parents.
In a twist, the Federal Government yesterday announced the suspension of the policy.
Reacting, Atiku stated that though the suspension is welcomed, it raised questions about why government has to 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.
“It is becoming a disturbing pattern. This administration announces harsh policies with little evidence of meaningful consultation, only to retreat when confronted by overwhelming public opposition. That is not responsive governance; it reflects poor policy formulation.
“The purpose of leadership is to anticipate the consequences of public policy before it is implemented. A government that repeatedly relies on public resistance to discover its mistakes is admitting, whether intentionally or not, that it is disconnected from the daily realities of its citizens.
“The proposed examination fee hike would have erected yet another financial barrier before millions of Nigerian children whose families are already crushed by inflation, rising transportation costs, soaring electricity tariffs, and declining purchasing power. “Suspending this policy should not be the end of the conversation. The Federal Government must now engage stakeholders to develop a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO that strengthens these examination bodies without transferring the burden to struggling families.
“More importantly, this administration must abandon its growing habit of announcing anti-people policies first and listening later. Consultation is not a sign of weakness; it is the foundation of responsible governance,” he stated.
In a statement posted on his X account yesterday, Obi described the suspension as a victory for the Nigerian people, saying the government acted correctly by responding to widespread public outcry.
While commending the authorities for reversing the policy, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) insisted that the examination fees were an unnecessary burden at a time when millions of Nigerians were grappling with economic hardship.
“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.”
Obi argued that access to education should be expanded rather than restricted, stressing that education is a fundamental right and a public good, not a source of government revenue.
He warned that imposing multiple fees at the basic education level could deprive many children of their right to education, maintaining that government has a responsibility to invest in educating citizens instead of creating financial barriers.
According to him, true leadership is demonstrated not only by making decisions but also by having the humility to reverse policies that impose unnecessary hardship on the people.
He also called for a review of other policies he described as anti-people, saying they deserved similar reconsideration. Obi thanked citizens, parents and advocacy groups whose sustained opposition, he said, made the policy reversal possible. The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) commended the immediate suspension of the proposed increase in Senior Secondary Certificate Examination registration fee.
Chairman, Board of Trustees of NAPTAN, Mr. Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said the suspension demonstrated that the Federal Government listened to concerns of parents and other education stakeholders regarding the proposed increase.
He added that the immediate suspension demonstrated that authorities could respond positively to genuine concerns of the citizens.
He urged the government to totally discard the proposal.
“We appreciate the government’s responsiveness, but our collective demand remains clear: the proposed examination fee increment should be cancelled completely and not postponed for implementation in the future.
“Our cry was never merely against timing; it was against the burden itself, whether introduced in 2027, 2030, or any other future period, we don’t want such an increment.
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“We respectfully request the government to abandon the idea entirely and, instead, pursue policies that promote affordable, accessible and free quality education for every Nigerian child,” he said.
Ogunbanjo had earlier opposed the proposed increase in the fee.
He described the proposed increase from N27,500 to N50,000 as excessive and capable of denying many students access to education.
Ogunbanjo said although examination bodies might face rising operational costs, nearly doubling the fees could not be justified amid worsening economic hardship.
He said parents were struggling with soaring fuel prices, inflation and increasing household expenses, leaving little disposable income to meet additional educational obligations for their children.”
Ogunbanjo said any increase in the fee could discourage state governments from sponsoring candidates because of the significantly higher financial commitment involved.
“Some states currently sponsor candidates. Any increase may force them to reduce or withdraw such support, creating additional burdens for parents who depend on government assistance.”
He also said unaffordable examination fees could frustrate efforts to promote universal secondary education and strengthen anti-education narratives by preventing qualified students from completing their schooling.
Also, Mrs Gloria Chukwuma-Okoh, Proprietress of Gap Fillers Academy, Agboju in Amuwo Odofin council area of Lagos, said any increase could worsen school dropout syndrome and economic hardship.
She said education underpinned national development and should remain affordable, accessible and adequately supported through government interventions.
She urged governments to strengthen public schools through improved infrastructure, employment of qualified teachers and free tuition.
“Governments should prioritise free quality education, modern infrastructure, competent teachers and sponsorship of WAEC and NECO examinations to guarantee equal opportunities for every Nigerian child,” she said.
Another parent, Mr. Adesegun Akinsanya, said increasing the fee would further burden families. “At this critical period, the government should prioritise easing parents’ burdens. Education remains a right that requires greater support and accessibility.”
He appealed to authorities to consider implementing totally free education nationwide, saying that such an investment would empower citizens, reduce inequality and secure the nation’s future.
The suspension has also attracted commendations from parents in Benue State with many hailing President Tinubu for giving a listening ear to what they described as the voices of reason.
The parents said such a policy would have put more burden on parents and guardians who are already struggling to foot the bills in their homes.
A parent in Makurdi, Mr Bernard Aondokura, said: “If you make that increment happen, you’re taking school out of the reach of the ordinary person. The ordinary people can no longer afford to have their children write these exams. You’re going to have more people on the streets than you ever had if they insisted on the policy.”
He said it was good that government shelved the idea because “school is supposed to be a right. In Nigeria, we’re slowly making it a privilege. And that’s not good.
“Already in Nigeria, we have several people on the streets, many dropouts, out of school children. Some are dropouts because their sponsors have died or have lost their jobs or one other mishap or the other. And now you’re worsening it by increasing the cost of writing these exams. How do you want these people to get into school?
“Certainly, some young men from privileged families will survive it. I’m not talking for them. I’m talking about those who are from underprivileged families who barely can even foot bills in school. If they spend that much money writing two exams, a N100,000 for two exams, when they are done, they get into these schools and the school fees aren’t getting lower. And so they are confronted by heavy fees in school, many of them can’t continue.
“And these days, scholarships are also not easy to access, I think we should be moving in the right direction with our policies. I commend them for listening to the voices of reason,” he added.
Mrs. Theresa Aondoyila, who lamented the plight faced by parents, said the suspension was a welcome development and urged the Federal Government to rather ensure policies that would lessen the burden already being experienced by the masses.
“As a parent and teacher, I know how long it takes some parents to pay the current fees. Some even pay late registration because they were not able to pay on time. So the addition would have been insensitive.”
Mr Samuel Mvendaga and Mrs Msendoo Gbande also hailed the suspension of the fee hike and urged the Federal Government to consider free education to enable families to cope with other bills.
