The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly condemned the National Examination Council (NECO) for its newly imposed N50,000 fee for certificate reprinting, labeling the decision as outrageous and a commercialization of education.
The policy was announced by NECO Registrar Dantani Wushishi in Minna, Niger State, stating that the fee would be subject to periodic review and applicable only within one year of the original certificate issuance.
In a statement released on Wednesday, NANS Clerk of the Senate, Comrade Abdulyekinn Odunayo, emphasized that this hefty fee places an unacceptable burden on students, particularly during a time of significant economic hardship. Odunayo expressed concerns that the new policy undermines NECO’s commitment to education and threatens to exacerbate financial exclusion among students.
“This draconian policy is a slap in the face of Nigerian students, who are already grappling with financial difficulties,” the statement read. “The N50,000 fee will disproportionately affect disadvantaged students, denying many access to their rightful certificates and perpetuating inequality.”
NANS criticized NECO for a lack of transparency in its fee structure and policies, raising alarms about potential mismanagement of funds and inefficiencies in service delivery. The student organization reiterated its commitment to advocating for affordable and accessible education, demanding an immediate reversal of the N50,000 fee. They also called for the fee to be reduced to a more manageable amount, an extension of the reprint request deadline to five years, and greater stakeholder engagement to ensure student-focused decision-making.
“We will not stand idly by while education is commercialized and students are exploited,” the statement concluded, urging swift action from NECO to address these pressing concerns.
