Just In: Jubilation as Nigerian Gov Increases Student's Allowance by Over 100 Percent
- Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno raised the state bursary award from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000 per student and released ₦1.3 billion for payments
- Eno also approved ₦1.968 billion to cover exam fees for pupils in public basic and secondary schools across the state
- The combined developments represent a total investment of over ₦3.2 billion in the Akwa Ibom education sector
Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has approved a ₦3.2 billion package targeting student welfare, raising the state's bursary award from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000 per beneficiary and committing nearly ₦2 billion to cover examination fees for pupils in public schools.
The announcement was contained in a press release signed by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, who attributed the approvals to Governor Eno's commitment to reducing financial barriers to education under the ARISE Agenda.
Akwa Ibom: ₦1.3bn released for student bursaries
Beyond the increase in the per-student bursary amount, Governor Eno approved the immediate release of ₦1.3 billion to fund payments for eligible students across the state.
The governor described the intervention as a deliberate investment in human capital development, aimed at easing the financial burden on student households.
Exam fees for public school students covered
A separate approval of ₦1.968 billion was directed at examination fees for students in public basic and secondary schools. The funding covers the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations, as well as a range of state-administered assessments, including the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the Common Entrance and Placement Examination, the Senior Secondary II Promotion Examination, and entrance examinations into Senior Science Colleges and Government Model Girls' Secondary School.
A breakdown of the allocation shows that ₦1.368 billion has been earmarked for WASSCE and related costs, covering National Identification Number registration, biometric capture, science practicals, Continuous Assessment, monitoring, and examination administration. An additional ₦50 million will fund NABTEB examinations, while ₦550 million has been set aside for the conduct of key state examinations.
Governor Eno directed the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education and relevant agencies to begin implementing the approvals immediately, with a specific mandate to ensure that no student is turned away from examinations due to an inability to pay fees.
Commissioner Umanah stated that the combined approvals represent an investment of more than ₦3.2 billion in the state's education sector, positioning the package as one of the most significant education expenditures under the current administration.
Source: Legit.ng
