The Borno State Government has released ₦565.7 million to cover the 2026 examination fees of 28,789 students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and the Senior Islamic Studies Examination (SISE).
Governor Babagana Zulum, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, announced the intervention on Friday during the symbolic presentation of cheques at the Ministry of Education’s Quality Assurance Office in Maiduguri.
Wakilbe said the initiative has transformed examination administration in public schools by ensuring students receive their results at the same time as candidates in private schools.
“Today, public school students receive their examination results at the same time as their counterparts in private schools, promoting fairness and equal opportunity,” he said.
He noted that the state government continues to subsidise 75 per cent of WASSCE and SISE registration fees and 70 per cent of NABTEB fees for eligible public school students, easing the financial burden on parents.
The commissioner also revealed that, for the first time, students in Higher Islamic Colleges are benefiting from the state’s examination fee support through the SISE programme, describing the move as part of Governor Zulum’s efforts to integrate the Sangaya education system into the mainstream education framework.
According to him, the Borno State Government has spent ₦4.71 billion on external examination fees since 2019, benefiting 193,963 students across the state.
He added that the sustained investment has eliminated the long-standing delay in the release of examination results for public school candidates.
Speaking on behalf of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Officer-in-Charge of the Maiduguri Office, Dr. A. I. Akanimoh, commended the governor for the timely release of funds, describing it as a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to education and improved access to examinations.
Wakilbe further disclosed that ₦4.58 million and ₦3.03 million were paid for NABTEB and the Senior Islamic Studies Examination respectively.
In a related development, Governor Zulum also commissioned and handed over a newly completed permanent office of the National Examinations Council (NECO) in Maiduguri.
Represented by the education commissioner, the governor said the facility, built on a 4,500-square-metre site within the premises of Mustapha Umar El-Kanemi Azhar College, is expected to strengthen examination administration and improve educational service delivery across Borno State.
