Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has approved more than N1.3 billion for the payment of final examination fees for indigent students in public secondary schools in the state.

Mukhtar Abdulmumini, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Planning and Research Department of the state Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, disclosed this in Katsina.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abdulmumini disclosed this during the fourth quarter meeting of the Social Protection Technical Working Group (TWG).

The meeting, which was in line with the social protection policy, was supported by UNICEF, in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

According to Abdulmumini, within the period, N370.9 million was spent on 20,269 students who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

He added that N992.9 million was approved for 48,385 students who sat for the National Examination Council (NECO).

“Also, the sum of N27.9 million was paid for 1,878 who sat for the National Board for Arabic and Islamic (NBAIS) examination.”

He said N4.5 million was paid for those students that sat for the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) exams.

According to him, amount spent for the payment of final examinations for the state’s indigenes in this quarter alone is more than N1.3 billion.

He said payment of the examination fees was an effort to encourage the indigenous students who sat for their variou final examinations including WAEC, NECO, NBAIS, and NABTEB.

Abdulmumini further revealed that in an effort to reduce the rate of unemployment and boost education in the state, the government had recruited 7,325 new teachers for both primary and secondary schools.

“Within the period, no fewer than 350 evaluators received training on Essential Quality Assurance Skills for teachers.

“The government has also procured chemistry materials to 30 schools at N26 million.

“Katsina state, in collaboration with UNICEF and in their effort on climate change, granted N150,000 to 25 schools in five LGAs each.

“The grant will be used for the prevention of desert encroachment and erosion through planting trees in their schools and to take other measures.

“The disbursement of the grant is the first phase, the second phase will be disbursed very soon and is N100,000.”

The benefiting LGAs include Bindawa, Funtua, Bakori, Kaita and Jibia,” Abdulmumini said.