Atiku’s mistake plans WAEC, NECO fee hike, warns of growing crisis outside schools

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticizes the Federal Government over planned increases in public education fees, urging President Bola Tinubu to cancel the reported approval of a uniform registration fee of ₦50,000 for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) from 2027.

Atiku also condemned the recent hike in Federal Unity Colleges fees, and described both decisions as insensitive at a time when many Nigerian families are grappling with severe economic hardship.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) argued that the policy undermines the government’s constitutional obligation to make education accessible to all Nigerians.

He said that increasing education costs amidst soaring inflation, high transportation costs, rising electricity rates, income stagnation and widespread unemployment will increasingly mean that children from poor and middle-income families cannot go to school.

According to Atiku, education remains the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty and create opportunities for Nigeria’s youth.

“Nigeria already bears a heavy burden as it has one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Depending on the methodology and age group measured, between 10.5 million and about 15 million Nigerian children and youth are already out of the classroom. Any government facing a national emergency should invest aggressively in getting these children back into school. Instead, this administration has opted for policies that will inevitably increase the number of such children,” he said.

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The former vice president warned that the combined impact of Unity School fee increases and proposed exam fees would put additional financial pressure on parents already struggling to support their families.

He also questioned the government’s emphasis on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that tertiary education loans cannot solve the challenges faced by children who are unable to complete secondary education due to rising costs.

“The same government whose policies progressively narrowed access to public higher education continues to project the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of its major achievements. Yet university loans provide little comfort to children who have been excluded from secondary education or cannot afford the qualifying exams required for admission. The government cannot credibly claim to expand access to higher education and at the same time erect financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from reaching the university gates.

“True education reform starts with making education affordable from the primary and secondary levels, expanding the carrying capacity of higher education institutions, and ensuring that poverty is never the reason why a child is denied the opportunity to learn. Governments that truly believe in education invest in classrooms before they invest in loans.**

“No country has yet striven for educational excellence. Countries that aspire to economic progress invest more—not less—in education during difficult times because they understand that human capital is the engine of sustainable development. Nigeria cannot build a globally competitive economy while systematically forcing millions of its children out of school,” he added.

Atiku called on President Tinubu to immediately withdraw the proposed fee increase and commence consultations with relevant stakeholders to develop a sustainable funding framework for public education.

He emphasized that education must remain a right and not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it.

“By the grace of Almighty God, I remain confident that Nigerians will reject policies that punish their children and make education an exclusive right of those who can afford it. The African Democratic Congress is committed to restoring education as a public good, not a privilege.

“The ADC-led government will not allow this unfair and punitive increase in examination fees. Instead, we will reverse policies that put education beyond the reach of ordinary families, expand access to quality education at every level, increase the carrying capacity of our tertiary institutions, and ensure that every Nigerian child, whatever his background, has a fair chance to learn, excel and fulfill his God-given potential,” he added.