FG Approves 82% Increase in WAEC, NECO Exam Fees, Sets New Registration Fee for 2027

• The Federal Government has approved a new registration fee for WAEC and NECO Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations from 2027.

The Federal Government has approved a significant increase in the registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), with the new rates taking effect from the 2027 examination cycle.

Under the new arrangement, candidates sitting for the internal SSCE conducted by both examination bodies will pay a uniform registration fee of N50,000.

The increase means NECO’s 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 conveyed 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 of examination bodies with the Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where stakeholders discussed the need to review examination fees.

The ministry stated that the minister directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform registration fee for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.

The memo reads in part:

“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on 31st March, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fee was discussed, the Honourable Minister of Education directed that the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE.”

It further stated:

“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) only, as the new examination fee for candidates with effect from NECO SSCE Internal 2027.”

The ministry also instructed NECO to communicate the new fee structure to all relevant stakeholders ahead of its implementation.

The development is expected to place additional financial pressure on many parents and state governments that sponsor candidates for the examinations.

There are concerns that states already struggling to settle examination fees may accumulate more debts to WAEC and NECO following the increase.

Some parents have also expressed fears that the higher registration fee could prevent many students from sitting for the examinations, particularly in states where governments do not pay examination fees on behalf of candidates.

In Lagos State, for example, the government currently covers the cost of WAEC registration for eligible students, while parents who can afford it pay for their children’s NECO examinations.

The new fee structure will take effect from the 2027 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.