The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed strong opposition to the recently introduced ₦50,000 fee by the National Examination Council (NECO) for reprinting certificates. This announcement was made by NECO’s Registrar, Dantani Wushishi, in Minna, Niger State.
According to NECO, the ₦50,000 fee for certificate reprints will be subject to periodic reviews, and requests will only be accepted within one year of the original certificate issuance.
NANS Clerk of the Senate, Comrade Abdulyekinn Odunayo, criticized this decision, labeling it an excessive and unfair commercialization of education. He argued that this fee would impose a significant financial burden on students, particularly in the current economic climate.
Odunayo stated, “The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) unequivocally condemns the outrageous decision by NECO to impose a ₦50,000 fee for certificate reprints. This draconian policy is a slap in the face of Nigerian students, who are already facing financial hardships and uncertainty.”
He emphasized that the fee would exacerbate financial exclusion, preventing many students from accessing their rightful certificates, and undermine NECO’s integrity regarding equitable education access.
NANS also raised concerns about NECO’s fee structures and transparency, suggesting potential fund mismanagement and inadequate service delivery. They urged NECO to reconsider its policies, advocating for a more student-friendly approach to education costs.
NANS has demanded an immediate reversal of the ₦50,000 fee and proposed that the charge be reduced, the certificate reprint period extended to five years, and that stakeholders engage in discussions to prioritize student interests in decision-making.
Odunayo concluded, “The National Association of Nigerian Students will not stand idly by while education is commercialized and students are exploited. We demand a reversal of the ₦50,000 fee, a reduction to a more affordable amount, an extension of the reprint request deadline to five years, and a stakeholder engagement process that ensures student-centric decision-making.”
