Sowore Declares Free Education Under 2027 Presidency, Unveils New Policies

Human rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has promised that Nigerians will not be required to pay registration fees for public examinations if he becomes President in 2027.

Sowore said an administration led by him would make education free and ensure that no Nigerian child was denied the opportunity to sit for public examinations because of poverty.

Naija News reports that Sowore made the declaration in a post shared on his social media platform, where he argued that education should be treated as a basic right and an essential foundation for national development.

“A #Sowore2027 administration will never ask your children or wards to pay to sit for public examinations,” he wrote.

“Education will be free because education is not a privilege; it is the bedrock of national progress and the foundation of a prosperous society.”

The presidential candidate maintained that the financial condition of parents should not determine whether a child could complete secondary education or obtain the certificates required to pursue further studies.

“No Nigerian child should be denied an education because of poverty or the inability to pay examination fees,” Sowore added.

He concluded the post with a call to Nigerians to reject policies and political choices that, according to him, hinder the country’s development.

“Stop enabling enemies of progress,” he wrote.

In another post on his official 𝕏 handle, Sowore highlighted what Nigeria’s education policy would look like under his administration if elected Nigeria’s president in 2027.

He wrote: “LET’S USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOU, AT A GLANCE, WHAT OUR EDUCATION POLICY WILL LOOK LIKE AFTER 2027.

“No government under a #Sowore2027 administration will ever ask your child to pay WAEC, NECO, or any other public examination fee. Education will be free because knowledge is a right, not a privilege.

“Our revolutionary education policy guarantees free, high-quality education from early childhood through university, backed by modern classrooms, virtual learning, well-paid teachers, student grants, and equal opportunities for every Nigerian child.

“This is not a promise of politics. It is a revolutionary commitment to build a nation where no child’s future is determined by poverty.

“Read it. Share it. Debate it. Join the movement to make it a reality.”

WAEC, NECO Fee Hike

Sowore’s statement came amid growing criticism of the Federal Government’s decision to approve an increase in the registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examinations.

Under the new arrangement, candidates will pay a uniform registration fee of ₦50,000 for the examinations from 2027, up from the current fee of ₦27,500.

The new charge represents an increase of about 82 per cent and has generated concern among educationists, school proprietors, parents and opposition politicians.

Critics have warned that the increase could worsen the country’s out-of-school crisis by preventing children from poor households from sitting for the examinations required to complete their secondary education.

The approval was conveyed by the Federal Ministry of Education following discussions with public examination bodies over the rising cost of organising examinations.

The ministry said the review was necessary in view of increasing expenditure on printing, logistics, security, technology, supervision and general administration.

However, education stakeholders have argued that the government should not transfer the burden of rising operational expenses to families already struggling with inflation, high food prices, transportation costs, tuition and other school-related expenses.