The Kogi State Governor, in North Central Nigeria, Mr. Usman Ahmed Ododo has approved the payment of the 2024/2025 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for 18,734 Students in Public Secondary Schools in the state.
The Kogi State Commissioner For Education, Wemi Jones, made the disclosure at a Press Briefing held in his office in Lokoja on Tuesday.
According to Jones, “the state Government will pay a total sum of N600m for the WAEC fees. The payment is in line with the Free examination policy of current administration in Kogi State.
High school Students in public schools are exempted from the payment of external exam fees such as the West African examinations Council (WAEC) exam fees, as contained in a law enacted by the State Government in 2023.”
The Education Commissioner said that with the law in place, internal and external examinations fees in public primary and secondary schools are bored by state government as Governor Usman Ododo administration takes responsibility of all examinations fees at primary and post primary levels as Government gives primacy to education in the State.
“For the 2024/2025 WAEC, we approached the Governor in accordance with the existing law for his approval for the payment of WAEC examinations fees for 18,734 Students and the Governor had graciously approved the proposal with cash backing.
“With this development, the WAEC fees in public secondary schools in Kogi State have been paid for by the State Government.
“In 2024, the State Government paid for 15,033 students. With this increase, Government believes that more parents are now moving their Children to public schools, leading to an increase of 3,700 students in public Schools.”
Jones said the policy makes life easier for citizens, Parents and Guardians as the policy aims to address the syndrome of Out-of-School Children towards achieving inclusive education, and higher School enrollment in the State.
The Commissioner added that the state government would pay for the fees for the University Matriculations Examinations (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) and other exam fees charged by other examination Bodies in Nigeria, such as the NABTEB fees, for students in public Schools, while the State First School Leaving Certificate (FSLCs) and the Basic School Examinations Certificates (BSECs) are to be paid fully by the state government.
PIAK
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