31,596 students failed 2024 WASSCE – Lagos Commissioner
By Adeola Ogunrinde
The Lagos State Government on Thursday revealed that 31,596 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), raising concerns across the state’s education sector.
The figures were disclosed by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja. He stated that 54.3 percent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exam did not pass.
According to the Commissioner, the pass rate stood at 45.7 percent. This outcome comes despite the state government’s significant financial investment — ₦1.577 billion was paid to cover the WAEC fees for the candidates.
“Suffice to say that the sum of ₦1,577,794,000 (One Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand Naira) only was paid by the State Government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun stated.
To ensure accountability and minimize wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine the number of eligible students for government sponsorship for the 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,” he added.
In response to the high failure rate, the state government introduced a robust educational intervention known as the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader effort by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip students in Lagos public schools with the tools and support they need to excel academically.
