Usman Ododo, Kogi State Governor, has approved over N542 million for the payment of examination fees for students in public schools across the state.
The funds will cover the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and other internal exams, including the Basic Six and Common Entrance Examination (CCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
This was stated by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, who made the announcement during a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday, explaining that N145,476,984 has been allocated for 25,100 pupils sitting for the Basic Six and CCE exams, N215,220,000 for 30,500 students taking the BECE, and N181,719,800 for 18,734 students’ UTME/JAMB fees. The total amount allocated for the examinations is N542,416,784.
Jones noted that the initiative is in line with a law mandating free examination registration fees for public primary and secondary school students, a law signed by former Governor Yahaya Bello. He added that Governor Ododo remains committed to building on the educational achievements of his predecessor.
The commissioner also revealed that over N661.3 million has been released to cover the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for SS3 students in public schools. In total, the state has committed over N1.2 billion to cover both internal and external examination fees for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Jones stressed that the initiative has significantly boosted school enrollment rates, with a reported 18% increase in student enrollment following the 2024 payment of examination fees.
He also noted that the policy has helped reduce the number of out-of-school children and improved student performance in national exams.
The commissioner commended Governor Ododo for prioritising education and its role in reducing poverty and illiteracy in the state.
He urged school principals to ensure a smooth registration process and warned that any attempts to sabotage the initiative would result in strict action by the government.
