The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has rejected the Federal Ministry of Education’s 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 “cruel” and insensitive to the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
In a statement signed by its President, Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babtee Babatunde, the students’ body condemned the approval granted by the Minister of Education, arguing that increasing examination fees at a time of economic reforms would further burden students and their families.
According to NANS, the new fees would raise the cost of registering for both WAEC and NECO to ₦50,000 each, amounting to ₦100,000 for candidates intending to sit both examinations, excluding additional charges imposed by schools.
The association expressed concern that the increase could deny children from low-income families access to education.
“This is cruelty in its purest form,” the statement read. “At a time when the government should be implementing measures to cushion the effects of economic reforms, increasing the cost of national examinations is inhumane.”
NANS further argued that the decision was taken without adequate consultation with the association, which it described as the apex body representing Nigerian students.
The association maintained that a policy affecting millions of students should not have been implemented without engaging key stakeholders.
“Anything for us, without us, is against us,” the statement added, insisting that the Federal Ministry of Education should consult student representatives on decisions directly affecting them.
The students’ body called on the Federal Ministry of Education to immediately reverse the approval of the fee increase in the interest of Nigerian students and urged the ministry to ensure broader stakeholder engagement in future education policies.
NANS also pledged to continue advocating for policies that promote affordable and accessible education for all Nigerian students.
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