The Borno State Government has approved the release of ₦565.7 million to subsidise the registration of 28,789 final-year secondary school students for external examinations in 2026, reaffirming its commitment to improving access to quality education across the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, announced the approval while predenting the chewue to the ministry’s Quality Assurance Office in Maiduguri.
The subsidy is expected to cover fees of candidates writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations and the Senior Islamic Studies Examination (SISE), benefiting students from public secondary schools across Borno State’s 27 local government areas.
Addressing the gathering, Wakilbe said the administration of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum had remained committed to eliminating financial barriers to education by ensuring that students in public schools enjoy opportunities comparable to those available in private institutions.
He said the state government currently subsidises 75 percent of WASSCE and SISE registration fees and 70 percent of NABTEB fees for eligible candidates.
According to the commissioner, the intervention has eliminated the delays that previously affected the release of examination results for public school candidates.
Mr. Wakilbe also disclosed that students of Higher Islamic Colleges are now included in the state-funded examination support scheme through the Senior Islamic Studies Examination. He described the move as a significant step towards inclusive education.
He added that the initiative aligns with Governor Zulum’s policy of integrating the Sangaya (traditional education) and conventional education systems to provide equal educational opportunities for all children, irrespective of their academic background.
The commissioner further revealed that between 2019 and 2026, the Borno State Government had spent more than ₦4.71 billion on examination registration subsidies, benefiting 193,963 students across the state.
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Speaking on behalf of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Officer-in-Charge of the Maiduguri Office, Dr A. I. Akanimoh, commended the state government for the timely release of the funds.
He described the intervention as further evidence of Governor Zulum’s sustained investment in education and a major boost for thousands of students preparing for their examinations.
At the ceremony, cheques were presented to the three examination bodies. WAEC received ₦558.13 million for WASSCE registrations, NABTEB received ₦4.58 million, while the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) received ₦3.03 million for candidates sitting the Senior Islamic Studies Examination.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum has commissioned and handed over a newly completed permanent office complex for the National Examinations Council (NECO) in Maiduguri.
The facility, located at Moduganari Junction along the Maiduguri–Jos Road, was inaugurated on the governor’s behalf by the Commissioner for Education, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Wakilbe said the office complex was fully funded by the Borno State Government and constructed on a 4,500-square-metre site within the premises of Mustapha Umar El-Kanemi Azhar College.
In her remarks, the NECO Zonal Director, Mrs. Deborah Rukop, thanked Governor Zulum for reviving and completing the project.
She described the commissioning of the permanent office as a major milestone that would strengthen the council’s operations and enhance the administration of examinations in Borno State.
