In a major breakthrough for thousands of Zamfara students, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) have officially released examination results that had been withheld for over five years. This development follows the full settlement of outstanding debts by Governor Dauda Lawal‘s administration, signaling a new era for education in the state.
According to a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the results were previously held due to the non-payment of examination fees by successive administrations. The debts spanned several years—WAEC results from 2018 to 2022 and NECO results from as far back as 2014 to 2018 remained inaccessible to students.
Governor Lawal, who declared a state of emergency on education in November 2023, has made the education sector a top priority. As part of his administration’s strategic overhaul, the Zamfara State Government paid a cumulative debt of over N2.7 billion to the two examination bodies.
“For WAEC, the government paid N1.4 billion owed between 2018 and 2022,” the statement noted. “This includes settlements for the 2024 examination, which allowed public school students in the state to participate after being excluded in 2023 due to non-payment by the previous administration.”
On the part of NECO, a sum of N320.7 million was paid to cover debts from 2020 to 2021, while the administration has also approved the payment of an additional N1.022 billion owed from 2014 to 2018. An agreement has been reached with NECO to commence the release of the results upon receiving the first batch of payment.
“This bold action underscores the governor’s unwavering commitment to restoring dignity and access to education for all Zamfara children,” the statement continued. “For years, the inability to access these vital certificates left many students stranded—unable to seek further education, jobs, or opportunities abroad.”
The consequences of the delayed results had been dire. Thousands of students who sat for their senior secondary school exams had their futures on hold, unable to gain admission into tertiary institutions or apply for scholarships and employment. Education stakeholders in the state have long criticized the backlog, calling it one of the darkest episodes in Zamfara’s educational history.
Since the declaration of the state of emergency, the government has also renovated and equipped over 500 public schools, trained and retrained teachers, and increased investment in school infrastructure and learning materials.
Commenting on the development, the President of the Zamfara State Students Association, Kabiru Aliyu, described the move as “historic and life-changing.”
“For the first time in years, many of us now have the freedom to pursue our dreams,” Aliyu said. “We thank Governor Lawal for listening to the plight of the students and acting swiftly.”
Educational experts have also lauded the initiative, noting that Zamfara had long ranked among the bottom states in Nigeria’s education indices. The prompt payment of exam debts and investment in infrastructure, they said, is a key step toward reversing that trend.
The development also opens the door for fresh conversations around accountability and governance in Nigeria’s education sector. Many have urged other state governments with outstanding debts to examination bodies to emulate Zamfara’s example in ensuring no student is deprived of educational progress due to administrative failures.
With NECO now processing the immediate release of the long-awaited results and WAEC having done the same, hope has finally been restored for thousands of Zamfara youths whose academic dreams had been stalled.