Bauchi Approves N396m For NECO, WAEC Registration

Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has approved N396,963,000 for the registration of final year secondary school students for NECO, WAEC JAMB and NBAIS external examinations.

The commissioner for education, Dr Jamila Mohammed Dahiru, disclosed this in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the ministry, Jalaludeen Usman.

The commissioner said only less privileged students in public schools across the state will benefit from sponsorship for the 2023/2024 academic session.

“This substantial investment underscores Governor Bala’s commitment to fostering educational excellence and easing financial burdens on students and parents, particularly during these challenging times.

“Unlike previous years, where payments for external examinations were often delayed or covered through borrowed funds, Governor Bala Mohammed has ensured that these funds are paid upfront, also settling over 800 million naira in debts incurred by previous administrations to continue down payments for examination fees since 2020, reflecting his proactive approach to educational support.

“All indexed students who successfully passed the aptitude test conducted by the Ministry will benefit from the sponsorship. This initiative aims to ensure that students are suitably prepared to excel in their external examinations, thus promoting quality education across the state,” the statement read in parts.

Additionally, Governor Mohammed’s generosity extends to covering the JAMB examination fees totaling N9,560,400  for 1,542 students who exhibited outstanding performance during the aptitude test, earning an impressive A grade. This strategic move is intended to inspire other students to strive for academic excellence and reinforces the government’s dedication to nurturing a culture of meritocracy in education.

Dahiru said the funds released for external examinations for the current academic session represents an increase of about 59.98 per cent from 2021/2022 to 2022/2023 and approximately 26.58 per cent from 2022/2023 to the current year.