Akwa Ibom State governor Umo Eno has approved an increase in the state bursary award from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000 per beneficiary as part of efforts to ease the financial burden on students and expand access to quality education.

Governor Eno also approved the release of ₦1.3 billion for the payment of bursaries to eligible students across the state, describing the intervention as a strategic investment in human capital development under the ARISE Agenda.

This was contained in a press release signed by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, who also stated that Governor Eno had approved ₦1.968 billion for the payment of examination fees for students in public basic and secondary schools across the state.

According to the statement, the approval covers the cost of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations, as well as other state examinations, including the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Common Entrance and Placement Examination, Senior Secondary II Promotion Examination, and entrance examinations into Senior Science Colleges and Government Model Girls’ Secondary School.

A breakdown of the approval shows that ₦1.368 billion has been earmarked for WASSCE and related expenses, including National Identification Number registration, biometric capture, science practicals, Continuous Assessment, monitoring and examination administration, while ₦50 million will fund NABTEB examinations. Another ₦550 million has been approved for the conduct of key state examinations.

Governor Eno directed the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education and relevant agencies to ensure immediate implementation of the approvals, with a mandate to facilitate the prompt payment of examination-related fees so that no student is denied the opportunity to sit for examinations because of financial constraints.

Umanah said that the combined approvals of ₦1.3 billion for students’ bursaries and ₦1.968 billion for examination fees represent an investment of more than ₦3.2 billion in the education sector. (Channels TV)

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