Lagos achieves 61.52% pass rate in WASSCE exams, covers ₦1.4 billion in registration costs for 45,598 pupils.

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By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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The Lagos State Government has said that 61.52 per cent of public secondary school students sponsored by the state in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, as the state intensified investment in education support programmes and digital learning infrastructure.

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Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, disclosed this on Friday during the 2026 ministerial press briefing to commemorate the seventh year in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, held at Alausa, Ikeja on Friday.

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Alli-Balogun also revealed that the state government committed ₦1.4 billion to sponsor the registration of 45,598 Senior Secondary School III students for the 2026 WASSCE, describing the intervention as part of efforts to remove financial barriers preventing students from accessing quality education.

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According to him, the improved performance recorded in the 2025 examination reflected the growing impact of strategic educational reforms and targeted learning interventions introduced by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

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“The Eko Learners Support Initiative, launched in January 2025, aims to close learning gaps, improve exam readiness and give every Lagos learner a fair chance to succeed,” Alli-Balogun said.

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He added: “Results are evident in the 2025 WASSCE, where 61.52 per cent of registered students earned five credits including English and Mathematics.”

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The commissioner explained that the programme had significantly improved students’ confidence, engagement and academic outcomes across public secondary schools due to its consistency, accessibility and alignment with examination requirements.

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As part of measures to improve teaching and learning, Alli-Balogun disclosed that the ministry distributed Essential Mathematics textbooks, Fundamental Formulas of English, Bedrock of English Grammar materials and Hope-Edu textbooks to public schools across the state.

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He also said smart learning devices were distributed to public secondary schools in March 2026 to strengthen digital education and improve students’ access to modern learning tools.

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According to him, the state launched a state-of-the-art Teachers Digital Hub in January 2026 to enable live streaming of teaching sessions to schools across Lagos, ensuring equal access to quality educational content.

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The commissioner noted that the ministry also organised educational film shows across the six education districts and showcased digital animations during the Festival of Instructional Materials to make classroom learning more interactive.

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On access to education, Alli-Balogun said the government continued efforts to bring more children into the school system, especially those from underserved communities and out-of-school backgrounds.

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He disclosed that 4,539 candidates applied for admission into Model Colleges and upgraded secondary schools, out of which 3,024 candidates secured provisional admission, representing a 66.62 per cent admission rate.

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The commissioner added that 11,727 students were transferred into public Junior Secondary School II and Senior Secondary School I classes across Lagos.

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Speaking on infrastructure development, Alli-Balogun revealed that 15 schools were constructed or rehabilitated in hard-to-reach communities, while modular classrooms were deployed in several schools to reduce overcrowding.

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He highlighted the completion of the Tolu School Complex in Ajegunle, a massive educational facility comprising 36 schools serving over 20,000 students.

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According to him, the state also supplied 223,343 ergonomic furniture units to public schools, completed eight new 18-classroom blocks in 2025 and commenced construction of 18 additional classroom blocks in 2026.

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He added that seven more classroom blocks had already been approved for the 2026/2027 academic session, bringing the total number of classrooms delivered since the re-inauguration of the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools to 1,416.

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