…Says Nigeria ‘Not laboratory for policy experiments’

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in WAEC and NECO registration fees, describing the move as a victory for Nigerian parents, students and civil society groups.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the reversal vindicated his earlier warning that raising examination fees would worsen educational inequality and deny many indigent students access to higher education.

While commending the government for suspending the proposal, Atiku questioned why the administration often waits for widespread public criticism before reversing controversial policies.

“The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” he said.
He argued that governments should consult stakeholders before introducing major policies, rather than reversing decisions after public opposition.

“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty,” he added.

According to the former vice president, the proposed fee increase would have imposed an additional financial burden on families already grappling with inflation, high transportation costs, rising electricity tariffs and declining purchasing power.

“Education should be the ladder out of poverty, not another luxury reserved for the privileged,” he said.

Atiku commended parents, teachers, labour unions, student groups and other stakeholders whose opposition, he said, contributed to the suspension of the proposed fee hike.

He, however, urged the Federal Government to engage stakeholders in developing a sustainable funding model for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) without shifting the financial burden to families.

He also called on the Tinubu administration to adopt evidence-based policymaking rooted in consultation, dialogue and empathy.

“A government that listens only after Nigerians cry out is a government that has stopped listening to the people it was elected to serve,” he said.

Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Atiku said Nigerians would have a choice between what he described as an administration driven by “trial and error” and an alternative offering experienced leadership.

“The lesson from this latest policy reversal is simple: a nation as important as Nigeria cannot be governed like a laboratory for endless experimentation. Nigerians deserve leadership that listens before it acts, consults before it decides, and gets it right the first time,” he said.