…As Free Exams Cut Out-of-School Children by 135,000

The Kogi State Government has announced plans to construct 46 new schools and renovate 728 existing ones across the state as part of sustained efforts to strengthen the education sector and improve access to quality learning.

The Commissioner for Education Wemi Jones disclosed this when he received the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Hon. Ismaila Isah on a working visit to celebrate achievements and ongoing reforms of the ministry on Monday.

Hon. Jones noted that education remains a top priority of the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, stressing that the last two years have been remarkable in the education sector with many projects and programmes that will define the future of young people in the state.

According to him, the 46 new schools will be spread across all local government areas of the state, while the renovation of 728 schools will be carried out in phases, with about 150 schools scheduled for rehabilitation in the first year, beginning between January and February 2026.

He explained that the infrastructure drive is complemented by policies aimed at removing financial barriers to education, particularly the state’s free examination initiative, a component of the free education policy, which has significantly reduced the number of out-of-school children in the state.

“Through the provision of free examination registration for public school students, we have recorded a reduction of about 135,000 out-of-school children within one year,” he said.

“Under the policy, the Kogi State Government pays for major examinations including Common Entrance, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), WAEC, NECO, JAMB and NABTEB for students in public schools, easing the burden on parents and encouraging school enrollment and retention”.

The commissioner noted that the state’s education reforms are guided by three core pillars planning, legislation and funding adding that Kogi operates under a 10-year Education Sector Plan (2021–2030) backed by the Kogi State Education Law of 2020.

He also disclosed that education receives about 30 percent of the state’s annual budget, one of the highest allocations in the country, enabling the government to sustain free education policies and infrastructure development.

He further noted that the introduction of second-chance education programmes for girls who dropped out of school due to economic challenges, early marriage or other social factors under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Conditional Cash Transfer of 40,000 Naira for adolescent girls have also kept more young people in school and empowered, assuring that more girls would be reintegrated into the school system.

The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving learning outcomes, expanding Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and ensuring that no child in Kogi State is denied access to quality education due to poverty.

“Education is our strongest tool to fight poverty, insecurity and social vices. Kogi is a work in progress, and we are determined to build a system that works for every child,” he said.