From: Godwin Agia, Jalingo
Taraba State Government has released N1,390,209,350 to cover the 2026 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for 39,536 students in public secondary schools across the state.
The payment, approved by Governor Agbu Kefas, forms part of his administration’s Free Education Policy aimed at removing financial barriers and expanding access to quality learning for every child in Taraba.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Barr. Zainab Usman Jalingo, the amount covers all WAEC-related costs including CASS offload, administrative charges, practicals, monitoring, sensitization, remuneration, school albums, registration PINs, and other examination expenses.
She noted that the intervention targets final-year students who would otherwise struggle to pay, a challenge that has forced many candidates to miss the Senior School Certificate Examination in previous years.
“Following the WAEC payment, the state government confirmed it will next settle National Examinations Council (NECO) fees for 38,000 students. The move will push total beneficiaries under the exam intervention to over 77,000 students in 2026.
“This development forms part of the ongoing implementation of the Free Education Policy of the administration of Agbu Kefas, which is aimed at removing financial barriers to education and ensuring that every child in Taraba State has access to quality learning.
“Beyond exam fees, Governor Kefas also approved N243,832,615 to support the state’s Students Exchange Programme. The sum covers feeding and transport logistics for participating students across the state.
