Atiku Abubakar Condemns ₦50,000 WAEC, NECO Fees

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and a candidate from the African Democratic Congress, criticized the Nigerian federal government's approval of a uniform examination fee of ₦50,000 for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). He issued a statement on Sunday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, warning that this fee increase would deny millions of children access to education.

Abubakar highlighted the economic insensitivity of the measure, especially during a time of rising inflation, high food prices, and widespread unemployment. He noted that the proposed fee would disproportionately affect children from poor and middle-income households, creating financial barriers to education.

Abubakar emphasized that education should not be a privilege reserved for the wealthy and pointed out that Nigeria already has a significant number of children outside the classroom, estimated between 10.5 million and 15 million. He argued that the government's focus should be on increasing educational access rather than imposing additional financial burdens.