After delayed results release, Sokoto, Niger pay WAEC, NECO arrears | EduCeleb
Ahmed Iyanda
19th September 2019
Both the Sokoto and Nigeria State Governments have announced the payment of arrears owed to public examination bodies.
This would now enable candidates who wrote the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in both states be able to access their results which were hitherto withheld.
In Sokoto, N300 million was reportedly paid to both the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) for the 2018/2019 session.
“The amount is for the payment of examinations fees for students who sat for the two examinations organized by the two examination bodies,” the Public Relations Officer, Sokoto State Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education, Nura Maikwanci wrote in a statement in Sokoto.
The move, he said, was to ensure prompt release of the results by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
He urged parents and students to exercise more patience, stressing that government was doing everything possible to ensure the release of their results in good time.
“It is expected that with this development the results of the students would soon release,” he stated.
For candidates who wrote the school certificate examination of NECO in Niger, government said it had concluded talks with NECO to release the result of about 30, 000 students of the state withheld by the examination body.
A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mrs. Mary Berje indicated that the state government has paid over N200 million to NECO this year to offset part of the students examination fees.
According to the statement, government has also paid well over a billion Naira, from 2017, to various examination bodies to date.
It reiterated the commitment of the state government to providing free and compulsory basic education in the state.
The statement said the state government has agreed to pay the examination body N50 million monthly for the outstanding balance that have accrued over the years.
“The state government has met with the officials of NECO, we have agreed in principles, after making some payments last week, that they will release the results this week,” the statement explained.
While acknowledging education as the bedrock of any meaningful development, the government committed to  revamping the education sector and ensure standards is not compromised.