Zulum Writes A ₦622 Million Cheque So No Borno Student Misses Their Exam Over Money

By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

The Borno State Government has presented a cheque of ₦622,308,300 to the National Examinations Council office in Maiduguri, covering 2026 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination fees for 27,599 final year students in public schools across the state.

Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, made the presentation on behalf of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, in continuation of a state policy running since 2019 that subsidises 75 percent of WASSCE, SSCE and NABTEB fees for eligible students.

According to the Commissioner, a total of ₦1,195,661,872.50 has been committed in 2026 alone toward WASSCE, SSCE, SISE and NABTEB fees, pushing the state’s cumulative investment in external examination fees since 2019 to ₦5,987,567,125.00, benefiting 193,396 students.

Wakilbe said the 2026 SSCE, conducted across all 24 Local Government Areas of the state, proceeded largely smoothly, despite a security incident in Lassa on June 29 in which 36 learners and one teacher, including a candidate sitting the examination at the time, were abducted. He prayed for their safe and swift return.

He said the gesture reflects the governor’s unwavering commitment to ensuring no child in Borno State is denied the chance to sit for final examinations because of financial hardship, noting that nearly ₦6 billion has been invested since 2019 to keep children in school and in the examination hall.

The Commissioner said thoughts remain with the affected learners and their teacher from Lassa, with continued prayers for their immediate return to their families and classrooms.

He commended NECO officials, local government chairmen, education secretaries, principals, teachers, parents and security agencies for their roles in the successful conduct of the examination, and pledged continued state support toward the planned rollout of Computer Based Test examinations in 2027.