Sanwo-Olu commits over N4.2bn to WAEC in 4yrs

The Lagos State government has paid over N4.2 billion to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in the last four years of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

ROYAL NEWS gathered that the commitment was in fulfillment of state’s free education policy.

The money is to cover the exam registration fees for all SS3 students, totaling 254,846 in the state-owned schools, to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) free of charge between 2020 and 2023.

The state government has also approved the payment of another N1.57 billion to WAEC to cover this year’s May/June WASSCE for all its students in terminal class, totaling 58,188.

The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, made this disclosure on Thursday at the ministerial press briefing organized by the state government to commemorate the first anniversary of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

The state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, as well as top officials from the state ministry of education and its agencies including SUBEB, LASTVEB, and TESCOM were all in attendance.

Speaking further, Alli-Balogun gave the total number of public schools at primary and secondary education levels in the state as 1,723, with an additional nine newly established in the last four years, all to cater to over one million pupils and students.

Alli-Balogun declared that the provision of quantitative and quality education not only at basic and secondary education levels but also at the tertiary level is one of the topmost priorities of Mr. Sanwo-Olu’s administration for the people of the state.

He said the governor and his team particularly believe that it is only when people have access to quality education that they can easily escape ignorance and poverty and then live a quality life.

He said the state government had intensified efforts and upgraded most of the school infrastructures including classrooms, staff rooms, libraries, laboratories, ICT rooms, toilet facilities, and so forth, and also provided new ones where necessary and recruited more teachers to ensure real learning and teaching are taking place.