More than 31,000 students in Lagos State public secondary schools failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite the government’s investment of over N1.5 billion to cover their exam fees.
This was revealed by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja. According to him, the state government paid N1,577,794,000 to sponsor 58,188 eligible students for the exam under its free education initiative.
Despite this financial backing, only 26,592 students passed the examination, leaving 31,596 without the required results—a failure rate of over 54 percent.
“This situation calls for urgent reflection,” Alli-Balogun said. “While the government is committed to easing the financial burden on parents, we must ensure that beneficiaries of this programme are adequately prepared to justify the investment.”
The commissioner attributed the poor performance to systemic challenges and emphasized the need for reforms. He disclosed that the government had initiated targeted interventions to address the decline in external examination outcomes, including the recent launch of the Eko Learners’ Support Programme on January 14, 2025.
In addition to addressing academic performance, Alli-Balogun noted that 30,000 previously out-of-school children had been re-enrolled in public schools as part of ongoing social reforms in the education sector.
He also highlighted improvements in teacher welfare. According to him, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved N102.5 million in housing loans for teachers in 2024. The fund cleared 25 pending applications from 2020 and catered to 93 new beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the commissioner announced that 4,353 teachers had been hired between 2023 and 2024 and deployed across education districts and technical schools under the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).
In a related update, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, stated that the state is restructuring its higher education system to better align with Lagos’s long-term development agenda.
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