A wave of concern has gripped stakeholders in the education sector following the dismal performance of Lagos State public school students in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite the state government’s massive financial intervention.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, on Thursday disclosed that no fewer than 26,592 public school students failed the examination, accounting for 45.7% of the 58,188 candidates presented by the state.
Alli-Balogun made this known at a ministerial press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, revealing that the state had spent a staggering ₦1.577 billion to cover WAEC registration fees for all eligible students.
“Suffice to say that the sum of ₦1,577,794,000 (One Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand Naira) only was paid by the State Government as examination fees for 58,188 students captured for the 2024 WASSCE,” the commissioner stated.
In a bid to eliminate fraud and ensure proper allocation of resources, the state also conducted biometric registration of students for the upcoming 2025 WASSCE. The exercise successfully identified 56,134 legitimate beneficiaries for government sponsorship.
Reacting to the poor performance, the state government unveiled a new educational support strategy, Eko Learners’ Support Programme, which was launched on January 14, 2025. The initiative aims to reverse the worrying trend in students’ academic performance and is tailored for both WASSCE and NECO candidates.
According to the commissioner, the programme is designed to deliver 320 televised lessons across 10 core subjects, including English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government, History, Literature-in-English, and Yoruba.
Each 30-minute session will be aired on Lagos Television (LTV) and made accessible across digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), allowing students to learn beyond the classroom.
“It is a supportive ecosystem that fosters academic achievement, creativity, and critical thinking. Every student deserves the opportunity to attain their full potential, regardless of background or socio-economic status,” Alli-Balogun emphasized.
He further appealed to students, particularly those in boarding schools, to embrace the initiative, describing education as a “lifelong journey.”
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