The Federal Government has approved a new examination fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), with effect from the 2027 examination cycle.
The approval was contained in a statement dated June 18 and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim.
According to the ministry, the decision followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of the SSCE registration fee for candidates from 2027. The new fee represents an 82 per cent increase from the current registration fee of N27,500.
Ibrahim explained that the approval stemmed from a meeting held on March 31, 2026, between the Minister of Education and examination bodies, during which the rising cost of conducting public examinations and the need for a fee review were discussed.
He said the Minister directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform examination fee for their SSCE examinations.
“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where the need for an upward review of examination fees was discussed, the Honourable Minister directed that WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of their SSCE examinations,” the statement read.
It added: “Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000) only as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from NECO SSCE (Internal), 2027.”
The ministry said the directive has been communicated to all relevant stakeholders for implementation ahead of the 2027 examination cycle.
