Examination fees hike should never have been introduced – Obi

Welcomes suspension

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said the newly introduced examination fees should never have been introduced, despite welcoming the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the policy.

In a statement posted on his X account on Monday, Obi described the suspension as “a victory for the Nigerian people,” saying the government acted rightly by responding to widespread public outcry.

While commending the authorities for reversing the policy, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party 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,” he said.

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 the 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.