The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has rejected the Federal Ministry of Education’s reported 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 to the prevailing economic realities facing Nigerians.
In a press release issued on Saturday and signed by its President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the students’ body condemned both the ministry’s approval and the proposal by the examination bodies to increase the fees.
“The reported increase raises the registration fee for each examination to N50,000, bringing the combined cost for candidates intending to sit both WAEC and NECO examinations to N100,000, excluding additional charges imposed by schools,” NANS said.
The association argued that the increase would place further financial strain on students and their families when many Nigerians are already grappling with the effects of ongoing economic reforms.
“If the Federal Ministry of Education and the leadership of WAEC and NECO cannot make the examinations more affordable and accessible, they should refrain from introducing policies that would further burden students and parents,” NANS said.
The students’ body also faulted the decision-making process, alleging that the approval was granted without adequate consultation with stakeholders, particularly the National Association of Nigerian Students, which it described as the apex body representing Nigerian students.
“A decision of this magnitude, affecting millions of students across the country, cannot be made unilaterally by the Ministry of Education. Anything for us, without us, is against us,” the statement said.
NANS called on the Federal Ministry of Education to immediately reverse the reported fee increase and urged the ministry to engage student representatives in future policy decisions affecting Nigerian students.
The association maintained that it would continue to advocate for the welfare and interests of students across the country.