Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has applauded the Federal Government’s decision to halt the proposed rise in WAEC and NECO registration fees, citing strong public resistance to the proposal.
On July 13, 2026, Atiku’s official page published a statement outlining the viewpoint.
Atiku claims that the suspension came after parents, students, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders voiced strong opposition to the proposed fee hike.
He maintained that many Nigerian children’s access to education would have been restricted and that the proposed increase would have put an additional financial strain on families.
“I applaud the Federal Government’s decision to halt the planned hike in WAEC and NECO registration costs. The Nigerian people have won this turnaround.
“This decision validates the concerns I voiced when I warned that pricing public examinations beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians would worsen the out-of-school children crisis, deepen educational inequality, and deny countless brilliant but impoverished students the opportunity to pursue higher education,” Atiku stated.
Atiku also questioned why, in his opinion, the government only changed the policy in response to strong public outcry.
“But the question still stands: why does this government always have to wait for public outcry before making changes to policies that should never have been implemented in the first place?”
Additionally, he urged the Federal Government to work with pertinent parties to create a sustainable funding mechanism for NECO and WAEC without shifting the financial burden to parents and students.
Additionally, he argued that broader public participation would enhance policy decisions and asked the Federal Government to contact stakeholders before proposing policies impacting Nigerians.