The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has rejected the Federal Ministry of Education’s reported approval of an increase in registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), calling the decision insensitive to Nigerians’ current economic realities.
In a press release issued on Saturday and signed by its President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the students’ organization attacked both the ministry’s approval and the examination bodies’ plan to raise costs.
“The reported increase raises the registration fee for each examination to N50,000, bringing the combined cost for candidates intending to sit both WAEC and NECO examinations to N100,000, excluding additional charges imposed by schools,” NANS reported.
The association stated that the hike will put further financial hardship on students and their families, at a time when many Nigerians are already dealing with the consequences of ongoing economic reforms.
“If the Federal Ministry of Education and the leadership of WAEC and NECO cannot make the examinations more affordable and accessible, they should refrain from introducing policies that would further burden students and parents,” NANS stated.
The students’ association also criticised the decision-making process, claiming that approval was granted without proper consultation with stakeholders, particularly the National Association of Nigerian Students, which it defined as the leading body representing Nigerian students.
“The Ministry of Education cannot make a decision of this scale unilaterally, as it affects millions of students across the country. “Anything for us, without us, is against us,” the statement read.
NANS requested the Federal Ministry of Education to immediately cancel the stated fee hike and to include student representation in future policy decisions impacting Nigerian students.
The association stated that it would continue to campaign for the well-being and interests of students across the country.