If I win, education will be free – Sowore

By Elizabeth Osayande

Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, and convener of the Take It Back Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has promised free education for all Nigerians if elected in the 2027 general elections.

The human rights activist made the declaration on Monday on his official X handle, amid nationwide controversy over the proposed increment of West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and National Examinations Council, NECO, fees.

Recall that last week the Federal Ministry of Education announced through a circular that WAEC and NECO fees would be increased from N27,500 to N50,000. The move sparked widespread criticism, forcing the government to suspend the increment.

Reacting, Sowore said his government would abolish all public examination fees and make education free at every level.

His tweet: “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.”

Sowore argued that education is a right, not a privilege, and vowed that under his administration, no child’s future would be tied to their parents’ financial capacity.

Meanwhile, the federal government has yet to announce a new policy on examination fees following the suspension.