Atiku Slams Proposed WAEC, NECO Fee Hike, Says Tinubu Is Pricing Nigerian Children Out of Education
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government over the reported approval of a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027, as well as the recent increase in fees for Federal Unity Colleges.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the policy as “cruel, economically insensitive and fundamentally incompatible” with the government’s constitutional responsibility to make education accessible to every Nigerian child.
He argued that the increase comes at a time when many Nigerian families are grappling with soaring inflation, rising food prices, high transportation costs, electricity tariff hikes, unemployment and stagnant incomes.
According to the former vice president, education remains the most effective tool for social mobility and poverty reduction, warning that additional financial burdens on parents would force more children out of school.
“A government that genuinely believes in the future of its people does not erect financial barriers between children and education. It removes them. Education is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy; it is the birthright of every Nigerian child.”
Atiku expressed concern that Nigeria already has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, estimating that between 10.5 million and 15 million children and young people are currently outside the classroom.
“Any government confronted with such a national emergency should be investing aggressively to bring these children back into school. Instead, this administration is choosing policies that will inevitably swell those numbers.”
The ADC presidential candidate also warned that higher examination fees would deny thousands of qualified but indigent students access to tertiary education.
He noted that Nigerian universities currently admit only between 500,000 and 700,000 students annually despite receiving over two million admission seekers, saying the latest policy would further restrict opportunities for young Nigerians.
“Rather than addressing this structural deficit by expanding infrastructure and increasing admission capacity, the government is effectively constricting access even further through higher Unity School fees and the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee.”
Atiku further questioned the government’s reliance on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that student loans cannot solve the problem if many students are unable to afford secondary education or qualifying examinations.
“A government cannot credibly claim to be expanding access to higher education while simultaneously erecting financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from ever reaching the university gates.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately reverse the increase in Unity School fees and the proposed WAEC and NECO examination fee, while calling for an urgent stakeholders’ dialogue on sustainable funding for public education.
Atiku also called on the Federal Government to invest more in public schools, improve educational infrastructure, recruit more teachers and expand the admission capacity of tertiary institutions.
“Reform without compassion becomes punishment. Nigeria cannot build a globally competitive economy while systematically pricing millions of its children out of classrooms.”
The former vice president maintained that an ADC-led government would reverse policies that make education unaffordable and ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education regardless of economic background.
