Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government over the reported plan to introduce a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for candidates sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations from 2027, describing the proposal as harmful to millions of Nigerian families.
In a statement released on Saturday, Atiku argued that the proposed fee, alongside recent increases in charges for Federal Unity Colleges, would make education less accessible to children from poor and middle-income households already struggling with the rising cost of living.
He warned that the policy could push more young Nigerians out of the education system instead of encouraging school enrolment.
According to the former vice president, Nigeria is already facing one of the world's largest out-of-school children populations, making it necessary for government to lower barriers to education rather than introduce additional financial burdens on parents.
He described the development as a "double punishment" for families grappling with economic hardship.
Atiku called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately reverse the increase in Unity School fees and suspend the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee.
He also urged the Federal Government to convene a broad stakeholders' dialogue involving education experts, parents, labour unions and other relevant groups to develop sustainable funding solutions for public education.
Beyond reversing the proposed charges, the former vice president advocated greater public investment in education through improved school infrastructure, recruitment of additional teachers and expansion of tertiary institution capacity.
He stressed that no Nigerian child should be denied access to education because of financial constraints.
The comments come amid growing public debate over the affordability of education in Nigeria following increases in school-related expenses and broader concerns about inflation and the rising cost of living.
While the Federal Government has introduced initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to support tertiary education, critics argue that affordability challenges begin much earlier at the secondary school level.
The reported proposal has generated widespread reactions from parents, education stakeholders and civil society groups, many of whom have called for clarification from the relevant authorities regarding the planned implementation and its potential impact on candidates preparing for future examinations.
As discussions continue, education advocates insist that expanding access to quality education remains essential to addressing poverty, unemployment and national development.
They argue that examination fees should be structured in a way that promotes inclusion while ensuring that qualified students are not excluded because of economic hardship.