WAEC, NECO Fee Increment Would Have Generated Over ₦175bn Annually to the Boards - Investigation

The proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) could have generated more than ₦175.3 billion annually if it had been implemented, an analysis of 2025 examination data has shown.

The Federal Government had earlier proposed increasing the registration fee for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by WAEC and NECO to ₦50,000 per candidate. However, the plan was later suspended following widespread criticism from parents, education stakeholders, and the general public.

An analysis of the 2025 candidate figures indicates that 3,506,489 candidates registered for both WAEC and NECO examinations, including internal and external candidates.

If each candidate had paid the proposed ₦50,000 registration fee, the examination bodies would have generated approximately ₦175,324,450,000 in registration revenue.

Data from the 2025 examination cycle shows that 1,973,365 candidates registered for the May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Nigeria, while 1,969,313 candidates eventually sat the examination.

For WAEC's private candidates' examinations, 9,054 candidates participated in the 2025 First Series WASSCE, while 65,752 candidates sat for the 2025 Second Series Computer-Based WASSCE for Private Candidates.

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On the NECO side, 96,979 candidates registered for the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External, with 95,160 candidates taking the examination.

The council also recorded 1,367,210 candidates for the 2025 NECO Internal SSCE.

Combined, the figures bring the total number of candidates who registered for WAEC and NECO examinations in 2025 to 3,506,489.

The projected revenue comes amid the Federal Government's decision to reverse its earlier proposal to increase WAEC and NECO registration fees to ₦50,000 per candidate.

The proposal attracted widespread opposition from education stakeholders, who argued that the increase would place an additional financial burden on millions of Nigerian families already struggling with rising living costs.

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Following the backlash, the government suspended the planned fee adjustment pending further consultations.

Beyond the school-based examinations, WAEC's private candidates' examinations, commonly known as WAEC GCE, continue to serve as an important alternative for candidates seeking another opportunity to obtain their secondary school certificate.

Available figures show that between 2021 and 2025, WAEC generated an estimated ₦7.39 billion from WASSCE for Private Candidates. The increase was attributed largely to higher registration fees and the council's transition to computer-based testing (CBT) for private candidates.

Although the proposed ₦50,000 registration fee has been postponed by the federal government, the analysis highlights the significant revenue potential of Nigeria's secondary school examination system and the financial implications of any future adjustments to examination fees.