Isiyaku Ahmed
The International Human Rights Commission–Relief Fund Trust (IHRC-RFT), Nigeria Chapter, has urged the Federal Government to withdraw the proposed increase in the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) registration fee to N50,000, warning that the policy could deny thousands of children access to education.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Country Director, Amb. Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, the organisation, expressed deep concern over the reported approval of the new examination fee, expected to take effect from the 2027 examination.
IHRC-RFT argued that the proposed increase comes at a time when poverty, youth exclusion and limited access to education have been widely identified by security experts as major drivers of insecurity, violent extremism and criminality across the country.
According to the Commission, increasing the examination fee would further burden low-income families and force many students out of school, contrary to efforts aimed at expanding access to education.
“Rather than making education more accessible, such a policy risks pushing thousands of children, particularly those from low-income families, out of school because many parents simply cannot afford the new fee,” the statement said.
IHRC-RFT stressed that education is a fundamental human right guaranteed under Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), noting that Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) also mandates the government to ensure equal and adequate educational opportunities for all citizens.
It further warned that implementing the proposed increase amid prevailing economic hardship could erode public confidence in the government’s commitment to improving access to education and trigger widespread public dissatisfaction.
It added that the policy could carry political implications as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The commission called on the Federal Government, the Minister of Education, and supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to urgently review and reverse the proposed fee hike.
It instead urged the government to adopt policies that would expand educational access, protect vulnerable families, and increase investment in Nigeria’s human capital as a long-term strategy for promoting national security and sustainable development.
IHRC-RFT maintained that education remains one of the most effective instruments for addressing insecurity and building a peaceful, prosperous and united Nigeria.
