The Taraba State Government has spent about N4 billion to cover the costs of the 2025 National Examination Council (NECO), West African Examination Council (WAEC), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and National Business and Technical Examination Board (NAPTEB) for students in public schools.
Commissioner for Education, Dr. Augustina Yahaha, stated this on Thursday in Jalingo while reviewing ministry activities and Governor Agbu Kefas’s efforts to entrench free and compulsory education since he assumed office in 2023.
Yahaha noted that the payment, made to ease the burden on parents and promote access to education, delayed the supply of desks and other learning materials for students. She said the massive return of children to public schools since the policy began led to an increased demand for classroom furniture and supplies.
“With free education, thousands of children returned to our public schools in Taraba State. Desks and other learning materials became inadequate, so the governor ordered new supplies for over 12,000 students in 2024 and approved another 12,000 this year,” Yahaha said.
She assured that now the state has cleared exam fees in full, new desks and materials will be distributed in coming weeks.
Dr. Yahaha also explained that the Primary School Leaving Certificate has been abolished by the National Council on Education since 2023, urging parents to desist from demanding it, as it is no longer obtainable anywhere in Nigeria.
The Commissioner reiterated the state government’s commitment to sustaining free and compulsory education for all children in Taraba.
