Should Your Child Abroad Sit WAEC or NECO? An Honest Guide for Diaspora Parents

If you're raising your child in London, Houston or Toronto, you might be wondering: does a Nigerian school certificate still matter for my child? Let's walk through it honestly.

NECO is coming to the diaspora

In October 2025, NECO unveiled a UK exam centre in London, working with a UK partner, Barnfield Education. At the time, NECO said its school certificate exam was already being run in seven countries, including Saudi Arabia.

NECO's registrar explained the aim:

"Our objective is to provide credible and accessible examination opportunities for Nigerians residing abroad" Prof. Dantani Wushishi, NECO Registrar, October 2025

Nigeria's Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, was reported as saying the plan meant "no Nigerian child, at home or abroad, is left behind."

NECO's UK partner also said many Nigerian children in the UK struggle with the British system, especially getting the GCSE grades they need, and that NECO could offer them another route.

One honest note: we found the launch reports, but no report yet of students actually sitting NECO exams in London. Contact NECO for the latest before you plan.

What about WAEC?

WAEC is run by five West African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia. We found no information from WAEC Nigeria about private candidates sitting its exam outside Nigeria. If you're thinking of WAEC for your child, ask WAEC directly where they can sit. Be wary of anyone abroad who promises to "arrange" a Nigerian WAEC centre for you.

Here's the good news about cost

By our sum, the exams themselves are cheap in foreign money. At 2026 prices, WAEC is about ₦27,500 and NECO ₦30,000. At this week's official rate, that's about $20 and $22, so about $43 for both.

And WAEC has got cheaper in dollars. The 2022 fee of ₦18,000 was worth about $43 on its own. Today's fee is worth less than half that.

Of course, travel to Nigeria, if you need it, costs far more than the exam.

What the certificate is really worth in the UK

This is where parents need the full picture. UK universities generally treat WASSCE and NECO like GCSEs, not like A-levels.

• Oxford Brookes University says a C6 in WASSCE or NECO counts like a GCSE grade 4, and a B3 like a GCSE grade 5. For a degree, it asks for WASSCE or NECO plus a recognised foundation course.
• The University of Manchester says applicants with WASSCE need to complete a recognised foundation programme, or have A-levels or the International Baccalaureate.

"need to successfully complete a University-recognised foundation programme" University of Manchester

So WAEC or NECO alone usually won't get your child straight into a UK degree.

By our sum, that matters for planning. A child who goes from SS3 to a UK foundation year before starting a degree usually adds a year compared with a child who finishes A-levels. That's one more year of fees and living costs. Check each university's own rules.

NECO says universities and other bodies abroad do contact it to check results. In May 2026, it reported verification requests from Canada, the US, South Africa and the UK. That shows Nigerian results are being used abroad. It doesn't mean every university accepts them the same way.

So when does it make sense?

1. If your child may study in Nigeria. WAEC or NECO, plus JAMB, keeps the door to Nigerian universities open.
2. If your child is struggling with GCSEs. NECO's partner says that's exactly who its London route is for. But check how your chosen universities treat NECO first.
3. If you want to keep a Nigerian link. For many families, it's about identity as much as grades.

Before you start

• Get your child a NIN. Nigerians abroad can enrol for a National Identification Number through NIMC's approved diaspora partners. You'll need it for JAMB if your child ever sits it.
• Check the university's own page. Every university treats Nigerian certificates a little differently.
• Plan the extra study. A child in a full British school timetable will need real time to prepare for WAEC or NECO.

If your child needs help with the Nigerian curriculum from wherever you live, Scholarleveling offers live classes with Nigerian teachers on any phone or laptop.

Read next: Nigerian vs British curriculum for children abroad, or what a Nigerian tutor online really costs.