ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately reverse the recent increase in Federal Unity Colleges’ fees and the proposed N50,000 registration fee for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO), warning that the policy could worsen Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
Atiku described the planned increase as harsh, economically insensitive and inconsistent with the government’s constitutional responsibility to make education affordable and 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 it was unacceptable for government to increase the financial burden on families at a time of rising inflation, high food prices, expensive transportation, increasing electricity tariffs, stagnant incomes and widespread unemployment.
He argued that education remains the most effective pathway out of poverty, warning that every additional financial burden placed on parents would deny more children access to learning and future opportunities.
According to Atiku, Nigeria already has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally, with estimates ranging from 10.5 million to about 15 million, stressing that government policies should focus on returning children to classrooms rather than making education more expensive.
He maintained that higher fees in Federal Unity Colleges and the proposed examination charges would disproportionately affect children from poor and middle-income households already struggling to meet basic needs.
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Atiku also questioned the government’s reliance on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a major education intervention, arguing that student loans offer little benefit to children who are unable to complete secondary education because of rising costs.
“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 for admission,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate insisted that genuine education reform should begin with making primary and secondary education affordable, expanding access to tertiary institutions and ensuring that poverty does not prevent any child from acquiring an education.
He further argued that countries seeking long-term economic growth invest more in education during difficult periods rather than increasing financial barriers to learning.
Atiku urged President Tinubu to reverse the increase in Unity Schools’ fees and the proposed N50,000 WAEC and NECO examination charges, while convening a broad stakeholders’ dialogue to develop a sustainable funding model for public education.
He also pledged that an ADC-led administration would reverse policies that, according to him, limit access to education, expand educational opportunities at all levels and ensure that every Nigerian child has an equal opportunity to learn and succeed regardless of economic background.