The Lagos State Government has revealed that 31,596 students from public secondary schools failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), sparking concern over the state of education in Nigeria?s commercial capital.

This disclosure was made during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing on Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, where the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, presented the education sector?s scorecard under the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.

Alli-Balogun stated that the government had spent a total of ?1,577,794,000 to cover examination fees for 58,188 bona fide students under its free education initiative.

Despite this significant investment, more than half of the sponsored candidates failed the examination, raising questions about the quality of instruction and student preparedness in Lagos public schools.

To ensure transparency and avoid duplication, the state introduced a biometric and image registration process for all Senior Secondary III students. The initiative verified and registered 56,134 students as eligible beneficiaries for the 2025 WASSCE sponsorship.

?The state government is committed to relieving parents of the burden of exam fees,? Alli-Balogun noted. ?But we must also prevent wastage by ensuring only qualified students benefit from this programme.?

Alli-Balogun also disclosed that about 30,000 out-of-school children had been re-enrolled in public schools across Lagos during the review period, as part of efforts to reduce the social and economic consequences of youth disengagement.

He said this initiative aligns with the Education and Technology pillar of the administration?s T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda.

?We?ve introduced strategic interventions to address declining performances in WASSCE and other external examinations. Innovative solutions are being implemented, and we continue to invest heavily in education,? he said.

The commissioner highlighted the Eko Learners? Support Programme, launched on January 14, 2025, as a targeted intervention to support candidates preparing for WASSCE and NECO examinations.

In a bid to boost teacher welfare, Governor Sanwo-Olu approved ?102.5 million in housing loans for 2024. This amount covered 25 pending applications from 2020 and 93 newly approved beneficiaries in 2024.

Additionally, 4,353 qualified teachers were recruited between 2023 and 2024. These teachers were deployed across various education districts and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).

Alli-Balogun urged students to steer clear of vices such as drug abuse, cultism, and gang violence, advising them instead to channel their energies into productive, co-curricular activities, often supported by NGOs.

Tertiary Education Reforms

Also speaking during a separate briefing, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, said the state government is actively repositioning its tertiary institutions for optimal impact in line with its broader developmental goals.

Sule highlighted the rehabilitation of 30 secondary school libraries, harmonisation of salary structures across state-owned universities, and efforts to upgrade the Lagos State University College of Medicine into a standalone University of Medical and Health Sciences.

He said institutions such as Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Education, and Lagos State University of Science and Technology continue to record strategic achievements through capacity-building and collaborative research.

The government, according to Sule, is also investing in infrastructure, digital literacy, sports, innovation, and the accreditation of academic and professional programmes by relevant bodies. (Vanguard)

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