By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) have released five years’ worth of withheld results for Zamfara State students following the payment of outstanding debts by Governor Dauda Lawal.

According to a statement issued by Sulaiman Bala Idris, spokesperson for the governor, the results—previously held back due to unpaid examination fees by successive administrations—have now been released after Governor Lawal cleared all arrears owed to the examination bodies.

The statement revealed that NECO was owed from 2014 to 2018, while WAEC had outstanding payments from 2018 to 2022. The release of the withheld results is part of Governor Lawal’s broader educational reform agenda, which began with his declaration of a state of emergency in education in November 2023.

“In his commitment to overhauling the education sector in Zamfara, Governor Dauda Lawal has settled all outstanding payments owed by previous governments,” the statement read.

It noted that the non-payment of WAEC and NECO fees had severely impacted public schools across the state, placing Zamfara consistently at the bottom of national educational rankings. The situation left thousands of students unable to access their examination results, hindering their progress in higher education and employment.

Since the emergency declaration, over 500 schools have been renovated and equipped, while teachers have received training and retraining as part of the reform initiative.

Regarding specific payments, the statement detailed that Governor Lawal settled a WAEC debt of ₦1.4 billion accumulated from 2018 to 2022. The previous administration also failed to pay for the 2023 WAEC exams, resulting in no public school participation that year. However, payment for 2024 has been made, and students have successfully sat for the exams.

On the NECO side, the government paid ₦320.7 million for debts accrued between 2020 and 2021. Additionally, Governor Lawal approved the payment of ₦1.022 billion owed from 2014 to 2018. NECO has agreed to release the withheld results upon receipt of the first tranche of payment.

This decisive action, the statement concluded, marks a turning point in the educational landscape of Zamfara State and signals the administration’s commitment to restoring the dignity and future of its students.