THE Lagos State government, yesterday, 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 the state. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, disclosed this during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja.
Presenting the education sector’s scorecard of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, the commissioner stated that the government had spent ¦ 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.
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 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: “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 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.
He also stated that 4,353 qualified teachers were recruited between 2023 and 2024 adding: “These teachers were deployed across various education districts and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, LASTVEB.”
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.