Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has approved over N542 million for the payment of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and other internal examination fees for students in public schools across the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, made this announcement during a press conference on Tuesday in Lokoja.
Jones stated that the funds will cover registration fees for the 2025 Basic Six and Common Entrance Examination, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and UTME.
“A total of N145,476,984 has been allocated for 25,100 pupils for Basic Six and Common Entrance Examination, N215,220,000 for 30,500 students under BECE, and N181,719,800 for 18,734 students’ UTME/JAMB fees, bringing the total to N542,416,784,” he explained.
The commissioner emphasized that this initiative aligns with a law mandating free examination registration for students in public primary and secondary schools, which was enacted by former Governor Yahaya Bello.
He added that Governor Ododo is committed to strengthening the educational advancements achieved under his predecessor’s administration.
Additionally, Jones revealed that the state government has released over N661.3 million to cover the 2024/2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) students in public schools.
According to him, the state has invested over N1.2 billion to cover both external and internal examinations for the 2024/2025 academic session.
“This initiative has significantly increased school enrolment rates. The payment of examination fees in 2024 led to an 18 per cent rise in student enrolment,” he stated.
Jones further explained that the intervention has helped reduce the number of out-of-school children while enhancing students’ performance in national examinations.
The commissioner commended Governor Ododo for prioritizing quality education as a means of reducing poverty and illiteracy in the state.
He also urged principals and school heads to cooperate with the ministry to ensure a seamless registration process while warning that strict action would be taken against any school official found sabotaging the initiative or exploiting students.
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