THE Lagos State government, on Thursday, disclosed 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 the state.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, announced this during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja.
The commissioner presented the education sector’s scorecard of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, stating that the government spent ¦ 1,577,794,000 to cover examination fees for 58,188 eligible pupils under its free education scheme.
Despite this significant investment, more than half of the sponsored candidates failed the exam, raising concerns about the quality of instruction and student readiness in Lagos public schools.
Alli-Balogun said, “The state government is committed to relieving parents of the burden of exam fees. But we must also prevent wastage by ensuring only qualified students benefit from this programme.”
The Commissioner also revealed that approximately 30,000 out-of-school children in Lagos were re-enrolled in public schools during the review period as part of efforts to mitigate the social and economic consequences of youth disengagement.
He said, “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.”
The commissioner emphasised the Eko Learners’ Support Programme, which was introduced on January 14, 2025, as a targeted intervention to assist applicants preparing for WASSCE and NECO exams.
Governor Sanwo-Olu granted house loans of ¦ 102.5 million for teachers in 2024 to improve their well-being.
This amount was paid for 25 pending applications from 2020 and 93 newly authorised beneficiaries in 2024.
He further revealed that 4,353 qualified instructors were hired between 2023 and 2024, adding that “these teachers were deployed across various education districts and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, LASTVEB.”
During a separate briefing, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr Tolani Sule, stated that the state government is aggressively repositioning its tertiary institutions for maximum impact in accordance with its broader developmental aims.
