Lagos State government has revealed that about N1.577 billion was spent to pay for the examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for year 2024 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamie Tolani Alli-Balogun, disclosed this on Thursday at the ongoing 2025 ministerial press briefing to mark the second year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.

Alli-Balogun said: “In order to prevent wastage and ensure accountability in sponsorship process, biometric capture and image registration exercise was conducted for all Senior Secondary III students to accurately determine the number of students eligible for sponsorship by the Lagos State Government for the year 2025 WASSCE.

“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona-fide beneficiaries of the Lagos State Government’s sponsorship for the Examination.

“Suffice to say that the sum of N1.577 billion only was paid by the State Government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for year 2024 WASSCE.”

According to the commissioner, as part of developing students interest in science, the state government through the ministry launched the Innovate Eko STEAM Programme to foster interest and skills development in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) among students, particularly at the secondary school level.

“Unveiled on November 8, 2024, during the commemoration of the National STEAM Day, the programme aims to empower students with practical, future-ready skills to address present and emerging challenges, promote self-employment, and contribute to Lagos State’s transformation into a productive, innovation-driven economy.”