Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has criticised the Federal Government for proposing to approve a uniform examination fee of ₦50,000 for the National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) starting in 2027.

The former vice president described the proposal as an additional financial burden on families already facing the nation’s economic difficulties and cautioned that it might prevent millions of Nigerian youngsters from receiving an education.

Additionally, Atiku denounced the recent fee increases imposed by Federal Unity Colleges, claiming that the decisions were economically insensitive and went against the government’s obligation to ensure that all Nigerian children had access to education.

The former vice president claimed in a statement released on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was putting additional strain on households already struggling with unemployment, rising food prices, transportation expenses, inflation, and increased electricity tariffs.

“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.

“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,” he stated.

He went on to say that education is still one of the best ways to combat poverty and advance national development, cautioning that policies that raise educational costs could worsen inequality and deny more children access to high-quality education.