Education

How Schools Hike WAEC, NECO Fees, Deny Poor Students Opportunities

Published

4 years ago

August 26, 2022

Pelumi Abraham was looking gloomy as she stood beside her mistress in a hairdressing salon, handing her attachments while the mistress plaited a client’s hair.

She looked tired and lost, said nothing, nor contributed to the discussions going on in the saloon.

When she was asked if she was fine, she answered in the affirmative, but her mistress cut her short, saying, “the girl is angry because she was not able to complete her senior secondary school, as her parents could not register her for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).”

When the customer asked her how much the registration was, Pelumi responded that it was N40,000.

“My parents said there is no money to register me for WAEC and the school insisted that we must register both NECO and WAEC together. So they said I should wait until they are able to raise money, then they will register me with the next set,” she said.

She said: “I was forced to go and learn hairdressing and my greatest regret is that my mates will be ahead of me and I am not sure if my parents will be able to register me next year because then my younger sister will also be due to write senior secondary school leaving examination.”

Pelumi is not the only one who has lost out on completing her studies due to the inability of parents to pay examination fees. Many students are found in this category, while some parents have become debtors just so their wards can write WAEC.

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However, the registration of WAEC and NECO should not have been a big deal if school managements stuck to the original fees of N13,950; an amount that WAEC has been charging for the registration of each candidate since as far back as 2017. It is only recently that the examination body raised the amount to N18,000 due to prevailing inflation in the country.

The Head, Nigeria National Office, WAEC, Mr Patrick Areghan, while visiting its marking centre recently, said there had been a marginal increase of WAEC fees because of the country’s spiralling inflation.

“There has to be that marginal increase to enable us to do better services. The examiners are now happy as we are able to increase their marking fees through this marginal increase. The money actually went for the payments of examiners to enable us to satisfy them so that they can do the job better,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Daily Trust has gathered that secondary schools charge between N40,000 to N100,000 to register a single candidate for WAEC while others charge the same amount or above for both WAEC and NECO.

A parent, Maryam Julius, said she paid N40,000 in a public school to register her daughter for WAEC.

She said: “It took me a lot before I could raise that amount because this is aside from the school fee and other levies. In fact I was among the last parents to pay because I remember I was told that I would pay an additional fee for late registration.”

A candidate who gave his name as Emmanuel said he paid N100,000 to register for WAEC in a private school.

“My parents insisted I write my exam in a private school because they felt I would do better there and the school insisted on that and this is aside from the school fees.”

For Kenneth Azuh, he paid N240,000 for his two kids in a private school in Gwarimpa, Abuja, to register them for both the examination and JAMB.

“I was very disturbed when I read in the newspaper recently that WAEC registration has just been increased from N13,950 to N18,000. I understood that the actual amount has been low and affordable, which means schools are ripping off us,” he said.

Kenneth blames the authorities for not doing their job properly, saying, “if we are a country that is serious, they should have been able to put measures in place to ensure that schools charge uniform amounts. Even if they had to add administrative charges, it should not be more than N10,000.”

A source close to the WAEC who does not want her name mentioned, said as far back as 2019, a parent complained that the school his children attended in Lagos charged N200,000 to register them for only WAEC.

She said in 2021, a relation of hers wanted to register in a school and she was told that they had closed registration and that she had to pay N40,000 as late entry fee aside N100,000 for registration.

“That was happening when WAEC was yet to commence registration. We were still preparing yet some schools had finished registration and were collecting late entry fees,” she said.

“They are ripping parents off and by so doing, many students could not register because of the hiked fee yet the Ministry of Education is not doing anything about it,” she lamented.

Reacting, the chairman a private School in Abuja, Yussuff Oriyomi, said they charge N70,000 for both WAEC and NECO and that they have no plan to increase it even with the slight increment from WAEC.

He said the N70,000 was for the examinations and associated administrative expenses and that they were actually subsidizing as other schools charged N100, 000 and above.

“For the supervisors, we send school buses to go and pick them up and to return them. Sometimes we will have to book a Bolt cab to pick them up if the school bus is not available. And there are instances where we didn’t go to pick them up, they come late and the students become apprehensive. When they come, we have to give them food as well,” he said.

He said those are some of the extra costs, adding that “the whole process of going to the WAEC office to regularize your registration, uploading the passport photos of students and a whole lot of back and forth that are involved, are part of the administrative expenses.”

“We charge N70,000, some charge N100,000 but it’s for both exams. So if NECO is N18,000, WAEC is N18,000 is that not N36,000 already; and you are paying N70,000. The balance is N34,000 and it’s from that we do data uploads, buy internet. Almost every year they keep changing the software that we use, and we buy the software,” he said.

Oriyomi said the WAEC office is in Gwagwalada and sometimes the exam officer has to go to the office up to 10 times before they finish the registration, adding that their processes were very slow. “Sometimes I’m scared that we may even be spending more than the money we collected from them.”

Reacting, the HNO of WAEC, Areghan said the council only charges N18, 000 for its examinations, whether public or private school.

“We have no hand in extra charges. Nothing more than N18,000 comes to WAEC.

We do not know anything about their providing logistics to supervisors. We pay supervisors for doing the job.”

“Their attempt to justify their illegal charges is laughable. Registration is online. Once you collect your registration materials, you can do your registration anywhere. I do not understand what they mean by “going to WAEC to register is time consuming,” he added.

He noted that it is the duty of the various Ministries of Education to check the excesses of schools in this regard and that parent should complain to their states’ Ministries of Education since schools are under them and not under WAEC.

When contacted, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Bem Ben Goong, said students who are in school registering for WAEC pay exactly what WAEC is charging, possibly with a small administrative fee attached to it, which is understandable.

He however refuted claims that private schools are charging higher amounts even for their own students.

He said, “No, that’s not true. If you have evidence, of anyone that has paid that amount, give it to me; we’re not ghosts. Give us verifiable evidence and we will confront that school.

The Nation

Education

PCN Raises Novena University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Admission Quota to 120

Published

13 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Trends Admin

PCN Raises Novena University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Admission Quota to 120

Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, has secured a major boost for its healthcare training capacity following the approval by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to increase the admission quota for its Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programme to 120 students.

The approval, conveyed in a letter signed by the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharm. Ibrahim B. Ahmed, followed a comprehensive verification and monitoring exercise carried out by the Council at the university’s Faculty of Pharmacy.

As the statutory regulator of pharmacy education in Nigeria, the Council said the decision was based on its satisfaction with the remarkable improvements recorded in the faculty’s physical infrastructure, teaching facilities and human resources.

The increased quota is expected to expand access to pharmacy education for aspiring students while supporting the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen the training of healthcare professionals across the country.

The development further reinforces Novena University’s growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading private institutions for medical and health sciences education.

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Established as the first private university in Delta State, Novena University has continued to consolidate its position through the delivery of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across a wide range of disciplines, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Optometry, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Law, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Accounting, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Political Science, Intelligence and Security Studies, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Anatomy.

Reacting to the approval, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Godwin Nduka, expressed appreciation to the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria for its effective regulatory and supervisory role.

He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to continually investing in academic excellence, modern facilities and quality manpower development to meet Nigeria’s healthcare and national development needs.

Professor Nduka noted that the latest approval aligns with the university’s vision of complementing government efforts in producing highly skilled professionals capable of driving national growth and improving healthcare delivery.

PCN Raises Novena University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Admission Quota to 120

Education

2026 BECE Results Out as NECO Announces Re-sit Dates

Published

2 days ago

June 25, 2026

Trends Admin

2026 BECE Results Out as NECO Announces Re-sit Dates

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with a total of 186,291 candidates participating in the examination conducted across Nigeria and five foreign countries.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, following the successful conclusion of the 2026 BECE Award Committee Meeting held at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

According to NECO, candidates sat for examinations in 12 subjects during the exercise, which took place between April 20 and April 30, 2026.

The examination body stated that the release of the 2026 BECE results followed the approval of the Award Committee after reviewing reports on the conduct of the examination, the marking process, and the compilation of candidates’ scores.

The Award Committee meeting was chaired by Dr Folake Olatunji-David, Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, who represented the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

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Speaking at the meeting, Olatunji-David expressed satisfaction with the procedures leading to the successful conduct of the examination and the release of the results, commending NECO for maintaining standards in the administration of the assessment.

The meeting was attended by NECO management officials, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, and selected secondary school principals from across the country.

The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) serves as the final assessment for students completing Junior Secondary School education and is a key requirement for placement into Senior Secondary School One (SSS1).

Meanwhile, the Award Committee approved July 22 and July 23, 2026, for the conduct of the BECE Re-sit Examination in Mathematics and English Studies.

NECO explained that the re-sit examination is specifically designed for candidates with conditional deficiencies in either Mathematics, English Studies, or both subjects.

According to the Council, the initiative provides affected candidates with an opportunity to correct deficiencies and obtain the certification required for progression into senior secondary school without repeating an academic year.

The examination body noted that the re-sit policy remains part of its efforts to support students facing challenges in core subjects while ensuring they continue their educational journey without unnecessary setbacks.

Education stakeholders have welcomed the move, describing it as a practical intervention that offers deserving students a second chance to meet admission requirements into SSS1.

NECO urged candidates, parents, and school administrators to access the results through approved channels and ensure all result details are properly verified.

The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to conducting credible and transparent examinations through improved assessment processes, enhanced monitoring systems, and strict compliance with examination regulations.

With the release of the NECO BECE 2026 results, thousands of students across Nigeria can now proceed with preparations for their transition into senior secondary education, while eligible candidates prepare for the upcoming re-sit examination.

2026 BECE Results Out as NECO Announces Re-sit Dates

Education

Teachers’ Union Demands Safe Rescue of Victims Before Schools Reopen in Oyo

Published

4 days ago

June 23, 2026

Trends Admin

Teachers’ Union Demands Safe Rescue of Victims Before Schools Reopen in Oyo

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State has declared that public schools across the state will remain closed until the government puts in place strong and verifiable security measures to protect both teachers and students following the recent mass abduction in Oriire Local Government Area.

The union said the decision followed the May 15 attack in which armed men invaded schools in parts of Oriire, abducting more than 40 students and teachers and killing at least two educators, an incident that has deepened fear and disrupted academic activities across the state.

The Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (Nigeria Union of Teachers) said the worsening insecurity forced its members to withdraw from classrooms indefinitely, warning that schools have become unsafe for both learners and educators. According to the union, the strike was not declared immediately after the attack. It said it initially engaged relevant authorities in hopes of a swift response but later concluded that the security situation had not improved enough to guarantee a safe return to classrooms.

Speaking in Ibadan, NUT Secretary, Mr. Olukayode Salami, said the reopening of schools now depends on two major conditions: the safe rescue of all abducted victims and the implementation of effective preventive security measures to stop future attacks. He said teachers would not return to classrooms until there is clear evidence of improved protection in vulnerable communities, especially in rural areas that have become frequent targets of attacks. Salami added that the emotional and psychological impact of the abduction has made it difficult for teachers to continue normal academic activities, noting that fear and panic have taken over many school environments.

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The union urged the government to urgently strengthen school security, especially in high-risk communities, stressing that educational institutions must no longer be treated as soft targets. It also called for increased security patrols, intelligence gathering, and joint operations involving conventional security agencies and local security groups to prevent further attacks. Salami stressed that the responsibility of protecting lives and property rests with the government, insisting that visible security presence is necessary to restore confidence among teachers, students, and parents.

The union disclosed that it has held several meetings with government officials and security stakeholders, leading to agreed action plans aimed at improving school safety across the state. However, it said it is still awaiting full implementation of these measures, particularly in vulnerable local government areas close to forested regions where recent attacks occurred.

As a result of the ongoing strike and security concerns, many schools in affected areas remain shut indefinitely, with no official timeline yet for reopening. Stakeholders have warned that academic activities may not resume fully until the government demonstrates clear commitment to securing schools and restoring public confidence. The union maintained that while schools cannot remain closed forever, safety must come before academic calendars.