Omoyele Sowore, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, has assured Nigerians that he will stop parents from paying West African Examination Council, WAEC, and the National Examination Council, NECO fees for their wards, if he become president next year.
“No government under’ my watch will demand that parents pay the examination fees for their wards, he said on his verified X handle on Monday, amidt controversy that has trailed federal government’s hike in the fees for secondary school leavers.
The Tinubu’s administration said, on Sunday, that the increase was agreed upon by stakeholders in the education sector in March this year. The government had just hiked the fees to almost 100 percent to N50,000 from N27,000, sparking trenchant criticism from not a few Nigerians, parents, opposition figures in the country, including former vice President Atiku Abubakar, student body, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, among others.
For instance, the government drew a serious flak from Abubakar who said the Tinubu’s administration has shown that it’s insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, who he said are already suffering under the weight of the economic problems his administration created.
According to Sowore, his administration will not only scrap the fees, it will also provide other incentives, including timely payment of teachers salary, provision of modern classrooms, students’ scholarship to ensure to support the education sector.
The presidential candidate also promised free education from nursery school to university level, saying parents should not be solely responding for education of their children, adding that financial barrier should not be a hindrance for acquiring education in the country.
Sowore: “Let’s use this opportunity to show you, at a glance, what our education policy will look like after 2027.
“No government under a #Sowore2027 administration will ask your child to pay WAEC, NECO, or any other public examination fee. Education will be free because knowledge is a right, not a privilege.
“Our revolutionary education policy guarantees free, high-quality education from early childhood through university, backed by modern classrooms, virtual learning, well-paid teachers, student grants, and equal opportunities for every Nigerian child.
“This is not a promise of politics. It is a revolutionary commitment to build a nation where no child’s future is determined by poverty. Read it. Share it. Debate it. Join the movement to make it a reality.”
NAN on its part said in a statement, issued by its president, Babatunde Akinteye that the decision was taken without due consultation with major stakeholders in the country, wondering why education has become too expensive in the country by the government.
“The decision… was taken without due process and without due regard for the economic realities facing ordinary Nigerian students,’ NANS said.
“More disturbing is the fact that this decision was made without engaging the apex students’ body, the National Association of Nigerian Students, or consulting the leadership of Nigerian students, who will bear the direct consequences of this policy.
“It is a season that demands relief, not another bill placed at the doorstep of households already choosing, daily, between survival and sacrifice.
“To increase examination fees at such a time is not merely poor timing; it is a failure of empathy at the highest level of policy-making,” Akinteye said.
Meanwhile, the magazine reports that public pressure piled on the government may have worked as the federal government has made a u-turn on the increase.
The administration has announced the suspension of the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 WASSCE and NECO.
Bowing to widespread public concerns and opting for extensive consultations with stakeholders, the Federal Ministry of Education announced on Monday that it had withdrawn its June 18, 2026 letter communicating the proposed fee adjustment pending a comprehensive review of the policy.
The ministry, in a statement by its director, press and public relations, Boriowo Folasade, explained that the decision followed reactions from Nigerians over the planned increase, with the ministry saying it had taken note of the public’s concerns and constructive feedback on the matter.Geographic Reference
According to the Ministry, the proposed fee review was initially driven by the country’s economic realities and the escalating cost of organising credible national examinations.
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