WAEC: Borno pays N507m registration fees for 20,075 indigent students

The Borno government has released N507 million to cover the cost of external examination registration fees for 25,075 indigent students in the state.

Lawan Wakilbe, the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, stated this during the disbursement exercise on Wednesday in Maiduguri.

He said the fund would cover the cost of registration fees for students writing the 2024 West Africa School Certificate Examination (WAEC).

According to him, the state government is subsidising the examination fees by 75 per cent aimed at creating a level playing field in the school system.

“Students in both public and private schools can now access their results simultaneously.

“Borno state government expressed sincere gratitude to the Council. We are deeply grateful for supporting the state’s resettlement efforts.

“Extending WASSCE examination to almost all parts of the state has significantly alleviated the challenges faced by our students.” he said.

While commending school principals for adhering to the examination ethics and quota system, Wakilbe warned against sharp practices during the exams registration exercise.

“While we support genuine ex-students with school records to retake examinations, we oppose to the practice of registering external candidates without proper records.

“This illegal activity leads to issues with students verification records, indiscipline and malpractices in public schools, placing a heavy financial burden on the government.

“Any principal of a public school whose examination centre is derecognised due to malpractice will be removed from his position.

“The ministry will submit a list of accredited private schools for consideration in the 2025 WASSCE,” he said.

Also speaking, Zakari Abdullahi, the WAEC Zonal Coordinator in the state, said the council would ensure prompt release of the examination results.