The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday rejected the National Examination Council’s (NECO) new N50,000 fee for the reprinting of certificates.
This development followed a statement by the Registrar of NECO, Dantani Wushishi, on September 30, 2024, in Minna, Niger State.
According to the statement, the N50,000 fee for reprinting certificates would be subjected to periodic review. It further clarified that reprint requests would only be approved within one year of the original certificate’s issuance.
“The N50,000 fee for certificate reprints is subject to periodic review,” Wushishi emphasized. The council also noted that requests for reprints, “will only be accepted within one year of the original certificate issuance. After this period, the council will no longer entertain such requests.”
In response to this announcement, NANS Senate Clerk, Abdulyekinn Odunayo, described the decision as outrageous and an unjust commercialisation of education.
Odunayo, in a statement, said that the fee placed an unnecessary and unacceptable burden on students, particularly at a time when many are grappling with economic challenges.
He highlighted how the new policy could be seen as a contradiction to NECO’s supposed commitment to education.
The statement reads: “The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) unequivocally condemns the outrageous decision by the National Examination Council (NECO) to impose a N50,000 fee for certificate reprints.
This draconian policy is a slap in the face of Nigerian students, already beset by financial hardships and uncertainty. The N50,000 fee is an unacceptable burden on students, many of whom struggle to make ends meet.”
NANS expressed concern that this fee would further exacerbate financial exclusion, denying many students access to their certificates, which they are rightfully entitled to.
The statement continued: “This fee will exacerbate financial exclusion, denying countless students access to their rightful certificates, perpetuate inequality, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged students, and undermine the integrity of NECO, casting doubt on its commitment to education for all.”
NANS also raised questions about the transparency of NECO’s fee structure and policies, suggesting that it raised concerns about possible mismanagement of funds and inefficient service delivery.
The student body reiterated its advocacy for affordable and accessible education, calling for an immediate reversal of the fee.
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“The National Association of Nigerian Students will not stand idly while education is commercialised and students are exploited,” the statement asserted.
NANS also called for a reduction of the fee to a more affordable amount, not exceeding the current rate, and an extension of the reprint request deadline to five years. The group urged for stakeholder engagement to ensure that decisions impacting students would be student-centric.
“We demand an immediate reversal of the N50,000 fee, a reduction of the fee to a more affordable amount (not exceeding status quo), extension of the reprint request deadline to 5 years and a stakeholder engagement to ensure student-centric decision-making,” the statement concluded.
