- Warns Policy Could Crush Hopes of Poor Nigerian Students
Chairman of NITO Sports, Debo Adeoye, has issued a stern warning to the National Examinations Council (NECO), condemning what he described as the Council’s “gross insensitivity” over its imposition of a N5,000 late registration fee for the 2025 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Adeoye, in a statement released in Ibadan on Monday, said the decision to slam the additional charge on already financially strained students and their parents amounts to deliberate punishment and shows a lack of empathy for the current economic realities facing millions of Nigerian families.
“It is heartless and unjust,” Adeoye declared. “How can NECO ignore the reality that Nigeria is presently grappling with serious economic hardship that has pushed many families into survival mode? Adding a N5,000 penalty for late registration—especially under circumstances beyond the control of many—will only worsen their pain.”
He explained that the late registration window coincided with the public holidays declared for the Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha, which spanned Friday and Monday, as well as the preceding weekend. “During this period, school registration centres were unable to complete payments due to technical glitches with the Remita platform and the inability of schools to access banks,” Adeoye noted.
According to him, penalizing schools and students for circumstances clearly influenced by national holidays and technology failures is both unjust and damaging.
Adeoye argued that the burden of this new policy will fall squarely on the shoulders of the underprivileged—the very demographic that makes up the majority of candidates sitting for the NECO exam.
“Policies like this gradually erode access to education for the poor. The children of the political elite and privileged few may have options, but for millions of ordinary Nigerian students, this examination is their only path to a better future,” he stressed.
He warned that NECO risks deepening the cycle of poverty and social exclusion by implementing policies that indirectly deny access to basic education.
“Once we take education away from the masses, we cripple the nation’s future. It is these same students—poor but determined—who challenge the children of the rich to do better, who inject true competition and performance into our academic system,” he said.
Adeoye called on NECO to immediately reverse the decision and extend the registration window without any financial penalty. He emphasized that many affected students already have strong Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) results but need the NECO SSCE certificate to complete their university admission requirements.
“This is not just about an exam; this is about the lives, dreams, and futures of our young people,” he said. “Denying them this opportunity due to a five-thousand-naira fee is unjustifiable. We must be careful not to push these young ones into depression or despair.”
Adeoye also cautioned against associating the decision with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. While some members of the public have begun blaming the federal government and accusing NECO of acting on behalf of the Tinubu administration to raise internal revenue, Adeoye believes this policy has no presidential input.
“This is not the doing of President Tinubu. Those who accuse him of directing NECO to exploit Nigerians under the guise of increasing internally generated revenue are being misled,” he explained.
“However,” he added, “if NECO fails to act swiftly, it may tarnish the reputation of the President. The Council must take responsibility, reverse this exploitative fee, and preserve the dignity of this administration.”
Adeoye ended his appeal by urging the Council to prioritize compassion, national interest, and the future of Nigerian youth over bureaucracy and revenue.
“Leadership is not just about policy—it is about people. NECO must show that it understands this.”
