NGSG pays N11.3m for 1000 students to write NECO GCE

The Niger Government has paid N11.3 million for scratch cards to enable 1,000 indigent students in the state to register for the National Examination Council (NECO)’s General Certificate Examination (GCE).

Alhaji Mohammed Shaba, Chairman of Global Foundation for the Improvement of Education and Environment (GFIEE), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), disclosed this to newsmen in Minna on Friday.

Shaba said the state government registered the students through the GFIEE.

Our correspondent reports that Shaba, a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Bida, established the NGO in 2009, to complement government’s efforts in the areas of education and environment.

He explained that in 2017, GFIEE registered and trained 1,000 external students with deficiency across the 25 local government areas of the state to write the GCE.

He said that the training took place at the various centres across the state.

“We embarked on this project because we realised that the intake of indigent students admitted into the higher institutions is low.

“Most of the candidates who have completed their secondary school education do not have the complete requirement to gain admission into higher institutions.

“For many years now, the state has not been able to fill its quota in the existing institutions in the state due to deficient results,’’ Shaba said.

According to him, the NGO decided to bring the students with deficiency together and train them to sit for the external examination.

“The programme is called “Second Chance” as they get the opportunity to sit for the examination for the second time to make up for their deficiency.

“After training the students, we then hand over those that qualify to the state government to register them for the NECO GCE.’’

Shaba commended the state government for partnering with GIFEE to improve the educational standard of the state.

He said that the gesture would empower the youths and reduce restiveness.

“This shows that the governor believes in the youths and that education is paramount to the development of the state and the country at large,’’ he added.