Lagos State Government has disclosed that more than 31,000 students from public secondary schools failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite spending over N1.5 billion on examination fees.

Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, revealed that the state paid N1,577,794,000 for the exam registration of 58,188 eligible students under its free education policy. However, only 26,592 students passed, while 31,596 students failed the exams.

Alli-Balogun described the situation as concerning and stressed the need to review the implementation of the subsidy. “We must continue supporting parents, but we also need to ensure that only academically prepared students benefit from this initiative to avoid waste,” he said.

In response to the poor results, the state has introduced the Eko Learners’ Support Programme, launched on January 14, 2025, to improve exam preparedness for students sitting WASSCE and NECO.

The commissioner also reported that approximately 30,000 out-of-school children had been reintegrated into public schools over the past year.

On teacher welfare, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved N102.5 million for housing loan disbursements in 2024, clearing 25 outstanding applications from 2020 and approving 93 new ones. Furthermore, 4,353 teachers were recruited between 2023 and 2024 and deployed across educational districts and to the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).

In a separate briefing, Mr. Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, announced that efforts are underway to reposition Lagos’ tertiary institutions to better align with the state’s development priorities and economic goals.