The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf has approved N3 billion for the payment of West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, and National Examination Council, NECO, examination for indigent Kano State students.
The N3 billion, according to the Governor, is the fees for 141,745 indigent candidates.
This is as the Governor reaffirmed his commitment to improving access to quality education and easing the financial burden on families.
In a related development, Yusuf also released the 2024 Senior Secondary Qualifying Examination results for the State.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, during a press briefing in Kano on Saturday.
According to the Commissioner, the announcement aligned with Gov. Abba Yusuf’s Education Reform Agenda.
He stated that the reform agenda has already seen the declaration of a state of emergency on the education sector. And the allocation of 31.5 per cent of the 2025 budget to it.
Speaking on the payment of N3 billion by the Governor, Makoda disclosed that the benefiting candidates were from public schools. These are students under the Kano Educational Resource Department, KERD. Also benefiting from the payment are the Science and Technical Schools Board, STSB, and the Agency for Integrated Education Development, AIED.
The Commissioner stated that they had sat for the 2024 examination, with over 75 per cent qualifying examination as a prerequisite for the state sponsorship.
He said, “In 2023, a total of 125,000 candidates were sponsored by the State Government.
“This year, Yusuf has graciously approved the sponsorship of all the indigent candidates who scored a minimum of five credits in the 2024 Senior Secondary Qualifying Examination.”
Makoda stated that the beneficiaries would have their registration fees fully covered for the 2025 NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS, and SSCE national examinations.
“This is a timely and bold initiative by the Kano State Government to promote academic excellence. And to increase access to education, and ease the financial burden on vulnerable families.”
The Commissioner directed Principals in public schools in the State to ensure that all eligible candidates benefited from the scheme without any form of bias or obstruction.
He said, “They must access their rights unconditionally and with full transparency.
Makoda stated that more details on the registration process woud be communicated to schools and the public through the relevant education agencies. Such as the KERD, STSB and AIED.
He said, “With this development, Kano joins a select few Nigerian States demonstrating a strong financial and policy commitment to supporting youth education.
“This is not just about examinations,it is about shaping the future of Kano through an educated and empowered generation.”
source: NAN