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Atiku Condemns FG Proposed ₦50,000 Uniform WAEC, NECO Fees
Atiku Condemns FG Proposed ₦50,000 Uniform WAEC, NECO Fees
Ex-Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government over the reported approval 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, warning that the policy would deny millions of children access to education.
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Atiku also condemned the recent increase in fees charged by Federal Unity Colleges, describing the measures as economically insensitive and inconsistent with the government’s constitutional obligation to make education accessible to every Nigerian child.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said the Tinubu-led government is imposing additional financial burdens on families already struggling under the weight of inflation, rising food prices, high transportation costs, electricity tariff increases and widespread unemployment.
“It is unconscionable that at a time when Nigerian families are battling record inflation, soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, crippling electricity tariffs, stagnant incomes and widespread unemployment, the Tinubu administration has chosen to make education even more expensive,” Atiku said.
He argued that education remains the most effective instrument for breaking the cycle of poverty and warned that increasing the cost of schooling would further widen inequality.
“A government that genuinely believes in the future of its people does not erect financial barriers between children and education. It removes them. Education is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy; it is the birthright of every Nigerian child and the foundation upon which prosperous nations are built,” he stated.
The ADC chieftain noted that the proposed examination fee and higher Unity School charges were particularly troubling because they come at a time Nigeria is grappling with one of the world’s largest out-of-school children populations.
According to him, estimates put the number of Nigerian children and young people outside the classroom at between 10.5m and 15m.
“Nigeria already bears the painful distinction of having one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Any government confronted with such a national emergency should be investing aggressively to bring these children back into school. Instead, this administration is choosing policies that will inevitably swell those numbers,” he said.
Atiku warned that higher examination fees would disproportionately affect children from poor and middle-income households, many of whose parents are already forced to choose between meeting basic needs and paying school-related expenses.
“The consequences of these policies extend far beyond school gates. Every child priced out of education today becomes tomorrow’s victim of unemployment, poverty, child labour, criminal exploitation, drug abuse or insecurity. Nations do not become prosperous by making education more expensive; they prosper by making education more accessible,” he added.
He further argued that the proposed ₦50,000 fee for WAEC and NECO examinations would create another barrier to tertiary education for indigent students.
“It is a systemic filter that will inevitably restrict access to tertiary education for thousands of indigent but academically qualified Nigerian students. For many children from low-income families, the journey to university does not end at the admission gate—it is terminated long before then by the inability to afford the qualifying examinations that determine their future,” he said.
He noted that although more than two million candidates seek admission into tertiary institutions annually, public universities admit only between 500,000 and 700,000 students because of inadequate infrastructure.
“Rather than addressing this structural deficit by expanding infrastructure and increasing admission capacity, the government is effectively constricting access even further through higher Unity School fees and the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee. The result is a cruel double punishment,” he said.
The former Vice President also questioned the government’s emphasis on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, arguing that student loans cannot compensate for policies that make it difficult for children to complete secondary education or sit qualifying examinations.
“A university loan offers little comfort to a child who has already been priced out of secondary education or cannot afford the qualifying examination required to secure admission. A government cannot credibly claim to be expanding access to higher education while simultaneously erecting financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from ever reaching the university gates,” he noted.
Atiku maintained that meaningful education reform should focus on making education affordable at the basic and secondary levels, expanding university infrastructure and ensuring that poverty does not determine access to learning.
“No nation has ever taxed its way into educational excellence. Countries that aspire to economic greatness invest more—not less—in education during difficult times because they understand that human capital is the engine of sustainable development,” he stressed.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse the increase in Unity School fees and shelve the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee, while convening a stakeholders’ dialogue on sustainable financing of public education.
Atiku
He also urged the Federal Government to invest more in public schools, recruit additional teachers, expand the capacity of tertiary institutions and ensure that no Nigerian child is denied education because of financial hardship.
The statement comes amid growing public debate over the affordability of education following recent increases in school-related charges and concerns about the rising cost of living.
Although the Federal Government has introduced NELFUND to improve access to tertiary education, critics argue that affordability challenges begin much earlier in the education value chain, particularly at the secondary school level where students must complete qualifying examinations before seeking university admission.
The plan to introduce a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027 has also sparked widespread public reactions, with stakeholders calling for clarity from the relevant authorities on the policy.
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News
NAF Deepens Strategic partnership With Ministry Of Women Affairs To Advance Women Empowerment And National Development
NAF Deepens Strategic partnership With Ministry Of Women Affairs To Advance Women Empowerment And National Development
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting women empowerment, gender inclusion and sustainable national development through strategic partnerships and people-centred initiatives.
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This was underscored during a courtesy visit by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, to the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Speaking during the engagement, the Chief of the Air Staff highlighted the vital role of women in nation-building, peacebuilding and socio-economic development, noting that the visit sought to strengthen collaboration in support of women and vulnerable groups across the country.
He reiterated the NAF’s commitment to impactful civil-military initiatives and to creating opportunities that enhance women’s participation in leadership, education, entrepreneurship and skills development. He further emphasised that strategic collaboration would enable targeted interventions for women in conflict-affected communities, strengthen advocacy against gender-based violence and build more resilient communities.
In her remarks, the Honourable Minister commended the NAF’s sustained contributions to peace, security and community development, as well as the people-centred leadership of the Chief of the Air Staff.
NAF, Ministry Of Women Affairs
She welcomed the proposed partnership and expressed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate on initiatives aimed at empowering women, protecting vulnerable groups and advancing gender-responsive development.
Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to developing impactful programmes that will promote social inclusion, strengthen community resilience and contribute to sustainable national development.
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NiDCOM Boss Hails Australia’s 50 Years Of Culture
Culture, according to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, is the bedrock upon which nations are built. The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) made this case on the strength of Australia’s example, commending the country for five decades of honouring its Indigenous peoples through NAIDOC Week.
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Speaking as special guest of honor,at a reception hosted by the Australian High Commission in Abuja to mark the 50th anniversary of the celebration, Dabiri-Erewa said she was honoured to stand alongside Australia in recognising the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“As Chairman of NiDCOM, I come not just as a representative of the Nigerian Government, but as a sister from another part of the world that also understands the power of resilience, culture and community,” she said.
An exhibition on display at the event struck a personal chord. Dabiri-Erewa noted that many of the photographs reminded her of her own heritage, reflecting experiences shared by Indigenous communities the world over.
She pointed to the word “Deadly”, which in Aboriginal English means strong, proud and excellent, as capturing the true weight of the fifty year milestone being marked.
Australia, she said, had proven a simple truth: a nation that honours its roots strengthens its future.
“The way Australia has created space to celebrate First Nations culture, language and leadership is something we admire. It teaches us that nation building must include everyone and that the wisdom of First Peoples and ancestral communities is invaluable national capital,” she said.
Nigeria, home to more than 250 ethnic groups and a wealth of indigenous traditions, shares that same diversity, she added.
“Without culture, you are empty. When you lose your culture, you lose everything,” she said.
Turning to this year’s theme, Dabiri-Erewa said it spoke directly to the next generation, pointing to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals already making their mark in law, healthcare, technology, the arts and sports. She drew a parallel with young Nigerians in the diaspora, who continue to excel globally while holding fast to their cultural identity.
“Our responsibility as leaders is to clear the path for them to thrive,” she said.
The Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Leilani Bin Juda, also speaking at the event said the relationship between the two countries reaches beyond trade and diplomacy into shared values, cultural exchange and lasting people to people ties.
Diplomacy, she said, is conducted not only through governments and institutions but through culture, conversation and human connection.
“Nigeria and Australia are very different countries in many respects, but we share an understanding of the importance of culture, community and identity,” Bin Juda said.
Both nations, she noted, are shaped and enriched by remarkable diversity, with traditions, languages and histories that continue to define their national character. She added that Australia and Nigeria enjoy a warm and growing friendship, built on mutual respect, trade, investment and cooperation across several sectors.
Dabiri-Erewa
The reception included a screening of Gurrumul, an acclaimed Australian documentary on the life of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, the late Indigenous Australian singer songwriter who was born blind and remains Australia’s most commercially successful First Nations artist.
NAIDOC Week is an annual celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with this year marking its 50th anniversary.
E-Signed.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun
Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM)
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N10million Damages: EFCC Appeals Judgment Against Agunloye
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, against the judgment of Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja, finding it liable for defaming former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye over a social media publication of an alleged $6billion Mambilla Power Project fraud.
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The Notice of Appeal was filed on Friday, July 10, 2026 by counsel to the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, SAN.
In the appeal contained in Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/1199/2024, the EFCC expressed dissatisfaction with the “whole of the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, Coram: Hon. Justice Peter O. Kekemeke, delivered on the 8th day of July, 2026….”
Specifically, the appeal was hinged on 11 grounds and four different orders. The orders the Commission is seeking in the appeal, are orders allowing the appeal, setting aside the whole of the judgment, dismissing Agunloye’s claim before the trial court in entirety and any other order the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of the appeal.
Justice Kekemeke had declared in his judgment that the EFCC’s publication on Agunloye was false, defamatory and injurious to the former Minister’s reputation and awarded N10 million in damages against the Commission.
EFCC
Shittu, in the appeal, also filed a stay of execution of the judgment of the trial court.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal.
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