Atiku Welcomes WAEC, NECO Fee Hike Suspension, Blames Government’s ‘Poor Planning’

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the WAEC NECO fee hike suspension, praising the decision while also criticising the Tinubu administration for what he called a troubling pattern of poor policy planning. The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate said the government’s reversal proves that better consultation, not public pressure, should guide policymaking from the start.

The Federal Government announced the suspension after facing intense backlash from parents, students, labour unions and civil society groups. Officials had proposed raising registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council exams by N50,000 for the 2027 session. However, following days of public outcry, the plan was put on hold.

Atiku Praises WAEC NECO Fee Hike Reversal, Questions Timing

In a statement released Monday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku called the suspension a win for ordinary Nigerians. Still, he questioned why the government waited for outrage before correcting course.

“The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” Atiku asked.

He argued that responsible governments consult stakeholders before rolling out major decisions, rather than afterward. According to him, sound leadership should never resemble “reckless experimentation” carried out at the expense of citizens’ patience and wellbeing.

“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty,” he added.

Economic Hardship Fuels Opposition to Exam Fee Increase

Atiku also linked the proposed fee hike to the broader economic pressure many Nigerian households currently face. He noted that inflation, transport cost increases and higher electricity tariffs have already stretched family budgets thin. Consequently, he argued, another fee increase would have pushed education further out of reach for low-income families.

“Education should be the ladder out of poverty, not another luxury reserved for the privileged,” he said.

Furthermore, the former vice president commended the coalition of parents, teachers, student groups and labour organisations whose resistance, in his view, forced the government’s hand. Their collective pushback, he said, demonstrated the power of organised civic pressure in shaping national policy.

Beyond simply cancelling the increase, Atiku urged the government to develop a long-term, sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO. This approach, he explained, would strengthen the examination bodies financially without transferring costs to already-struggling families.

“The Federal Government must now engage stakeholders to develop a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO that strengthens these examination bodies without transferring the burden to struggling families,” he stated.

Calls for Evidence-Based Policy Ahead of 2027 Elections

Looking further ahead, Atiku tied the episode to Nigeria’s political future. He insisted that genuine governance requires dialogue and evidence-based decision-making rather than trial-and-error policymaking. In his words, a government that only listens after citizens protest has effectively stopped listening altogether.

“A government that listens only after Nigerians cry out has stopped listening to the people who elected it to serve,” he stressed.

As the 2027 general election approaches, Atiku framed the choice facing voters in stark terms: continued policy improvisation versus experienced, consultative leadership. He argued that the government should not treat Nigeria as a testing ground for untested policies.

The latest policy reversal offers a clear lesson: a nation as important as Nigeria cannot be governed through endless experimentation. Nigerians deserve leadership that listens before it acts, consults before it decides, and gets it right the first time,” he added.

Ministry of Education Weighs In on WAEC NECO Fee Hike Suspension

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education said it will keep the fee proposal suspended until it completes broader consultations. These discussions, according to the ministry, will involve examination bodies, state governments, school proprietors, parents’ associations and organised labour. Officials also assured the public that no new fee structure will take effect until this consultation process concludes.

Government officials had originally justified the proposed increase by pointing to rising operational costs, including logistics, security, printing and technology deployment for the examinations. Critics, however, maintained that any fee increase would restrict access to education for children from low-income households, especially amid Nigeria’s ongoing economic hardship.

As debate continues over funding public examinations sustainably, the suspension marks a temporary win for civic pressure groups. Nevertheless, the underlying question Atiku raised — whether government policy will shift from reactive to proactive — remains unresolved heading into the 2027 election cycle.