The Lagos State Government has revealed that 31,596 students from public secondary schools failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite a substantial investment of N1.5 billion in examination fees under its free education initiative.
The 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 state’s education scorecard. The initiative was aimed at easing the financial burden on parents, covering the WASSCE fees for 58,188 students. However, more than half of those sponsored failed the exam, raising concerns over the quality of education in Lagos public schools.
Alli-Balogun pointed out that the government had introduced a biometric and image registration process to ensure transparency and eliminate duplication, with 56,134 students verified as eligible for the 2025 WASSCE sponsorship.
The commissioner acknowledged the challenges in Lagos’ education sector, noting that strategic interventions were being implemented to address poor performances in WASSCE and other external exams. These include the introduction of the Eko Learners’ Support Programme, launched in January 2025, which is designed to help students prepare for exams.
In addition, about 30,000 out-of-school children were re-enrolled into public schools as part of efforts to reduce the impact of youth disengagement. Alli-Balogun emphasized the government’s commitment to investing in education and improving the quality of instruction.
To improve education delivery, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved N102.5 million in housing loans for teachers, with 4,353 new teachers recruited between 2023 and 2024 to fill gaps in various education districts and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).
In his remarks, Alli-Balogun also urged students to avoid negative behaviors such as drug abuse and cultism, instead encouraging participation in co-curricular activities supported by NGOs.
In a separate briefing, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at improving tertiary education in Lagos. This includes rehabilitating secondary school libraries, harmonizing salary structures across state-owned universities, and upgrading Lagos State University College of Medicine into a full-fledged University of Medical and Health Sciences. Sule also mentioned investments in infrastructure, digital literacy, sports, and innovation across tertiary institutions in the state.
