Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the proposed introduction of a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for candidates sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council examinations from 2027.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the proposed fee, alongside the recent increase in Federal Unity Colleges’ charges, would place additional financial pressure on Nigerian families already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“It is unconscionable that at a time when Nigerian families are battling record inflation, soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, high electricity tariffs and widespread unemployment, the government has chosen to make education even more expensive,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President argued that education should remain accessible to every Nigerian child, warning that increasing the cost of schooling could worsen inequality and keep more children out of the classroom.
“A government that truly believes in the future of its people removes financial barriers to education rather than creating new ones. Education is the birthright of every Nigerian child, not a privilege for the wealthy,” he stated.
Atiku expressed concern that the proposed examination fee comes at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with a high number of out-of-school children.
He said rather than introducing policies that could discourage school enrolment, government should invest in expanding access to quality education.
“Any government faced with a growing out-of-school population should be working to bring children back into classrooms, not adopting measures that could increase their number,” he said.
According to him, higher examination fees would have the greatest impact on children from poor and middle-income households, many of whom already struggle to meet basic educational expenses.
He also argued that the proposed fee could limit access to tertiary education, noting that students must first sit qualifying examinations before seeking admission into universities.
“For many children from low-income families, the journey to higher education may end before it begins if they cannot afford the examinations required for admission,” Atiku added.
The ADC chieftain further urged the Federal Government to reverse the recent increase in Unity School fees, suspend the proposed ₦50,000 examination fee, and engage stakeholders on sustainable funding for public education.
He also called for greater investment in public schools, recruitment of more teachers, expansion of tertiary institutions, and policies that would ensure no Nigerian child is denied education because of financial hardship.
