Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo has announced the approval of N600 million for the payment of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for Senior Secondary Three (SS3) students in the state for the 2024/2025 academic year.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Wemi Jones, during a press conference held on Tuesday in Lokoja.
He stated that the allocated funds will cover the examination fees for a total of 18,734 students in public schools across Kogi State.
According to Jones “The state government will be paying the sum of N600 million for the WAEC fees. The payment is in line with the Free Examination Fee for Pupils in Public Schools Law enacted by the state government in 2023.”
Jones highlighted that this initiative aligns with existing legislation mandating the government to bear the costs of examination registration fees for students in public primary and secondary schools.
Backstory
- In January 2024, the Kogi State government announced plans to institute a policy making the payment of external and internal examination fees-free. This policy aligns with the state’s commitment to free education
- Under the same free education framework, the Kogi State Government, in line with its policy under former Governor Yahaya Bello, released N115 million to cover the cost of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration fees for 15,033 students in public schools across the state.
- In November 2023, Governor Bello approved the immediate disbursement of N497 million for the payment of the 2023 WAEC examination fees for students enrolled in public schools.
- This disbursement not only fulfils the administration’s recent commitment to implementing the “Zero Out-of-School Policy” in the region.
Prioritizing educational growth
Jones noted that since 2016, the Kogi State government has prioritized education, allocating 30% of its budget to this sector.
“The aim of this is not just to lessen the burden of fees on the parents but also to reduce the out-of-school children in Kogi,” he said.
Jones also shared encouraging statistics regarding student enrollment.
“In 2023/2024 registration, the state government enrolled over 15,000 students for the examination. In 2024/2025, the state is enrolling 18,734 students for WAEC across the 21 local government areas,” he said.
This increase in enrollment indicates a significant trend, as more students are choosing to attend public schools instead of private institutions.
He reiterated the Ododo administration’s commitment to drastically reducing the number of out-of-school children in Kogi State, stating that the government aims to keep this number to a minimum.
Furthermore, he urged principals and school heads to collaborate closely with the ministry to ensure a seamless registration process for the benefit of the students and the state’s educational growth.
While the commissioner expressed optimism about the future of education in Kogi State, he also issued a stern warning to school principals.
“The government will come down heavily on any school principal who tries to shortchange the system,” he stated