Federal Government has approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), with effect from 2027.
The new fee represents an increase of about 82 per cent from the current registration fee of N27,500.
The approval was contained in a statement dated June 18 and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Adeniji Ibrahim.
According to the ministry, the decision followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of the SSCE registration fee and discussions held at a meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies on March 31, 2026.
Ibrahim said the minister directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform examination fee for the conduct of their Senior School Certificate Examinations.
“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fees was discussed, the Honourable Minister directed that WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE,” the statement said.
It added that the minister had approved the sum of N50,000 as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from the 2027 examination cycle.
The ministry directed the examination bodies to communicate the new fee structure to all relevant stakeholders ahead of implementation.
The Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, also confirmed the approval of the upward review of the examination fees.
The increase has, however, attracted criticism from students, parents and opposition figures, who expressed concern that the higher registration fee could place additional financial pressure on households already grappling with rising living costs.
The new fee is expected to take effect from the 2027 Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by both WAEC and NECO.
