The Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has increased the registration fees for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), raising the fee to N50,000 per candidate from 2027.
The increment, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education, is aimed at establishing a uniform registration fee for both examination bodies.
Under the new arrangement, NECO’s SSCE Internal registration fee will rise from N30,000 to N50,000, while WAEC’s fee will increase from N27,000 to N50,000.
The approval was contained in a memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
According to the memo, the decision followed a meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies on March 31, 2026, where the need to review examination fees was discussed.
The ministry stated that the minister directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform examination fee for candidates sitting the SSCE Internal examinations from 2027.
The memo instructed NECO to communicate the new fee structure to all relevant stakeholders ahead of its implementation.
The development is expected to have significant implications for parents, students and state governments that sponsor candidates for the examinations.
There are concerns that the increase could widen the financial burden on states already indebted to the examination bodies due to unpaid registration fees for students.
The new fee is expected to increase the financial commitment required from families when it takes effect in 2027.
