The Federal Government has approved an increase in the registration fees for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), with the new rate taking effect from 2027
Under the new arrangement, candidates sitting for either WAEC or NECO internal SSCE will pay a uniform fee of N50,000.
The decision raises NECO’s registration fee 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, 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 stakeholders agreed on the need to review examination fees and adopt a uniform charge for both WAEC and NECO SSCE.
The ministry directed NECO to implement the new fee from the 2027 internal SSCE and notify all relevant stakeholders.
The development has sparked concerns that some state governments may struggle with higher debts, especially those that sponsor candidates’ examination fees. Parents have also expressed fears that the increase could make it difficult for many students in states without government sponsorship to register for the examinations.
In Lagos State, the government currently pays the WAEC registration fees for public school candidates, while parents who can afford it are responsible for their children’s NECO registration fees.
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