Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the release of N565.7 million to pay the 2026 external examination fees of 28,789 final-year students in public secondary schools across the state’s 27 local government areas.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, announced the development on Friday during the symbolic presentation of cheques at the Ministry’s Workhub Quality Assurance Office in Maiduguri.
The funds will cover candidates sitting for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations, and the Senior Islamic Studies Examination (SISE).
Wakilbe said the intervention has significantly improved examination administration in public schools, ensuring students receive their results at the same time as those in private schools.
He noted that the Zulum administration continues to ease the financial burden on parents by subsidising 75 percent of WASSCE and SISE registration fees and 70 percent of NABTEB registration fees for eligible public school students.
According to the commissioner, students of Higher Islamic Colleges are benefiting from the examination fee support for the first time through the Senior Islamic Studies Examination, describing it as a major step toward integrating the Sangaya education system into the state’s formal education framework.
He further revealed that since Governor Zulum assumed office in 2019, the Borno State Government has spent N4.71 billion on external examination fees, benefiting 193,963 students across the state.
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 the gesture as a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to expanding access to education.
During the event, three symbolic cheques were presented on behalf of the governor: N558.13 million to WAEC for WASSCE registration, N4.58 million to NABTEB, and N3.03 million to the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) for SISE candidates.
In a related development, Governor Zulum also commissioned and handed over the newly completed permanent office of the National Examinations Council (NECO) in Maiduguri.
Represented by Commissioner Wakilbe, the governor said the facility, built on a 4,500-square-metre site within the Mustapha Umar El-Kanemi Azhar College premises, will strengthen examination administration and improve educational service delivery in Borno State.
The solar-powered complex features an office block with eight offices, an examination strong room, a conference hall, ten conveniences, and landscaped surroundings.
NECO Zonal Director, Mrs. Deborah C. Rukop, praised the state government for completing the project after it had remained abandoned for more than a decade, saying the new office would significantly improve NECO’s operations and service delivery in Borno State.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hajiya Yakaru Mustapha, alongside directors, senior ministry officials, and representatives of various examination bodies.
