Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has revealed that students in the state were unable to sit for WAEC and NECO examinations for two consecutive years due to unpaid debts totaling ₦3.2 billion.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Wednesday, Lawal described the financial and educational crisis he met upon assuming office in May 2023, saying the backlog of unpaid exam fees was among the first emergencies his administration addressed.
“Things were bad when we took over. For two good years, our students couldn’t write WAEC or NECO because of debts. We had to clear ₦3.2 billion in outstanding payments. Today, all pending certificates from previous years have been released,” he said.
He explained that over 450 schools—both primary and secondary—have since been rehabilitated, and the administration also declared a state of emergency in the education sector.
The governor added that his government inherited ₦13.6 billion in unpaid pension liabilities dating back to 2011.
However, he said his administration has cleared all pensions and gratuities without borrowing, relying solely on internally generated revenue (IGR).