The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly rejected the Federal Ministry of Education’s approval of an upward review of registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), describing the decision as insensitive and a heavy burden on millions of Nigerian families.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its President, Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the apex students’ body condemned the approval of the new examination fees, saying the increase comes at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with severe economic hardship occasioned by ongoing economic reforms.
According to NANS, increasing the registration fees for both WAEC and NECO to ₦50,000 each means many students could now require about ₦100,000 to register for the two examinations before schools add other administrative charges.
The association described the development as “cruelty in its purest form,” warning that the new fees could deny children from low-income families access to education and worsen the country’s educational challenges.
NANS argued that rather than increasing the financial burden on parents and students, the government should be introducing measures to cushion the effects of economic reforms and make education more affordable.
The students’ body also faulted the Federal Ministry of Education for approving the fee review without consulting the leadership of Nigerian students, insisting that a policy affecting millions of candidates should not have been implemented without engaging the National Association of Nigerian Students.
The association maintained that decisions directly affecting students must involve stakeholders, stressing that “anything for us, without us, is against us.”
While expressing concern that public anger over the policy could ultimately be directed at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NANS said the President was not directly involved in the decision-making process that led to the approval.
The association called on the Federal Ministry of Education to immediately reverse the fee increase in the interest of Nigerian students and ensure that future policies affecting students are subjected to broad consultation with the leadership of the country’s student community.
NANS reaffirmed its commitment to defending the welfare, educational rights and interests of Nigerian students, pledging to continue advocating for policies that promote affordable and accessible education across the country.
