Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress presidential candidate and convener of the Take It Back Movement, pledged on Monday that education will be free at all levels if he wins the 2027 elections. The human rights activist made the declaration on his X handle as Nigeria grapples with backlash over proposed exam fee increases.
Last week, the Federal Ministry of Education announced plans to raise West African Examinations Council and National Examinations Council fees from N27,500 to N50,000. The proposal triggered fierce public criticism, forcing the government to shelve the increase temporarily.
Sowore said his administration would scrap all public examination fees entirely. "No government under a #Sowore2027 administration will ever ask your child to pay WAEC, NECO, or any other public examination fee," he posted on X.
The candidate stressed that knowledge belongs to every Nigerian as a fundamental right. "Education will be free because knowledge is a right, not a privilege," he wrote.
Sowore's education blueprint includes quality schooling from early childhood through university, furnished with modern facilities, virtual learning platforms, competitive teacher salaries, student grants, and equal access for all children. He framed the commitment as revolutionary rather than merely political.
"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," he stated in his message.
The candidate argued that no child's prospects should depend on their family's financial standing. He views education access as fundamental to national development and social justice.
The federal government has not yet announced a replacement policy for examination fees following the suspension of the proposed hike.
