By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
The Lagos State Government has revealed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has paid over N4.2 billion for public school students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the last four years.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Mr Tolani Alli-Balogun disclosed this during the Ministerial Briefing on the first year anniversary of the second term of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration, held at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Alli-Balogun emphasised that Sanwo-Olu’s administration has consistently paid WAEC fees for all public school students since its inception.
“The administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has never defaulted on the payment of WAEC fees of all public school students in the last four years of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s first term in Office,” he stated.
“The state government paid over N4.2 billion between 2020 and 2023 to keep our promise of full payment of West African Senior School Certificate Examination fees.”
The commissioner further revealed that the government has approved N1,571,076,000 for the registration fees and other costs for 58,188 SS3 students writing the WASSCE in the current school year (2024).
He provided a breakdown of the number of beneficiaries and amounts paid for each year:
2019: 44,645 candidates, N624,861,750
2020: 45,446 candidates, N636,033,700
2021: 51,187 candidates, N717,210,650
2022: 56,256 candidates, N1,016,380,800
2023: 57,312 candidates, N1,035,893,200
2024: 58,188 candidates, N1,571,076,000
Alli-Balogun also announced that 1,340 teachers have been recruited since 2023, and over 1,000 newly recruited teachers have been inducted into the teaching profession by the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM).
He added that approximately 2,636 out-of-school children have been enrolled back into various public schools in the state.
The commissioner emphasised the government’s commitment to providing quality education for all children in Lagos State, stating that they have implemented a strategic policy of not leaving any child behind.
He also highlighted the expansion of public school capacity and the approval of 720 new private schools (462 nursery and primary, 251 secondary, and 7 vocational) to accommodate more students and provide access to education across the state.