The National Association of Nigerian Students has rejected the National Examination Council’s N50,000 fee for reproducing certificates.
Dantani Wushishi, NECO’s Registrar in Minna, Niger State, revealed the new policy in a statement on September 30, 2024.
According to the statement, the N50,000 cost for certificate reprint is subject to periodic review, and reprint requests will only be accepted within one year of the original certificate issuing.
In response to the new charge, NANS Clerk of the Senate Abdulyekinn Odunayo issued a statement calling the decision absurd and a commercialization of education.
Odunayo noted that the price is an intolerable burden on students, especially since many are struggling to make ends meet.
He emphasized that economic difficulty is affecting Nigerian students and that NECO’s new policy raises concerns about the organization’s 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.
“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 stated that NECO’s pricing structure and rules lacked transparency, raising worries about financial mismanagement and poor service delivery.
