Agbu Kefas has approved the release of N1.39 billion to cover the 2026 examination fees of 39,536 students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council.
The Taraba State Government said the intervention forms part of the ongoing implementation of its Free Education Policy, aimed at removing financial barriers and expanding access to education across the state.
According to the government, the approval covers the settlement of WAEC-related costs, including Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) offload, administrative charges, practicals, monitoring, sensitisation, remuneration, school albums, registration PINs and other examination expenses.
The government also disclosed plans to commence payment of examination fees for about 38,000 students preparing for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council as the next phase of the intervention.
In addition, the governor approved the release of N243.83 million to support food contractors and transporters participating in the state’s Students Exchange Programme.
Out of the amount, N148.57 million was allocated for feeding students at Government Comprehensive Secondary School Jalingo and Government Day Secondary School Wukari.
Further breakdown showed that N52.75 million and N42.52 million were earmarked for transportation of indigenous and non-indigenous students participating in the exchange programme across the 19 Northern states.
The government said the interventions reflect its sustained commitment to strengthening the education sector and ensuring seamless participation of students in both internal and external academic programmes.
It added that the Free Education Policy was designed to expand access to learning opportunities, improve educational support systems and ensure that no child in the state is denied education due to financial constraints.
