The Lagos State Government has raised deep concerns over the alarming failure rate of students in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite a huge financial investment aimed at promoting academic success.
During a ministerial briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, disclosed that over 26,000 students failed the exam, even though the state had spent more than N1.5 billion to cover their registration fees.
“45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass,” the commissioner said, expressing disappointment.
He added that “Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 was paid by the state government as examination fees for these students.”
The government had registered a total of 56,134 students, all of whom were considered eligible beneficiaries of the sponsorship scheme.
This effort, according to the commissioner, was to ensure that every qualified public school student had a fair chance to sit for the WASSCE at no personal cost.
Moreover, Alli-Balogun explained that biometric and image registration methods had been introduced to improve accountability.
He noted that this would help ensure that only truly qualified students benefit from future government support.
In response to this educational setback, the government has launched a new intervention the Eko Learners’ Support Programme to help improve academic performance across public secondary schools.
According to Alli-Balogun, “This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars as a testament to the ministry’s commitment to improving the educational system in Lagos State.”
The initiative, launched on January 14, 2025, features 320 televised lessons in ten major subjects.
These include English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Literature-in-English, Yoruba, History, Government, and Economics.
Each lesson will run for 30 minutes and will be broadcast via Lagos Television as well as digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
“It is a supportive ecosystem that fosters academic achievement, creativity, and critical thinking,”Alli-Balogun said, stressing the importance of equal access to quality learning.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of background or socio-economic status.”
Furthermore, he urged students especially those in boarding schools to take the platform seriously.
“It is on this note that I urge and encourage students, more importantly, students in our boarding schools, to take full advantage of this initiative, as education is a lifelong journey,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government has reassured parents and the public that it remains fully committed to improving education standards.
The Lagos State WASSCE failure has been taken as a wake-up call to realign efforts towards effective teaching and learning.
