The Jigawa State Government said it earmarked N1.2 billion for the payment of the 2025 external and internal examination fees.

The Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Educational Research Agency, Hassan Nayaya, told journalists in Dutse on Thursday that the amount has been appropriated in the proposed 2025 budget.

He said that N1.3 billion has been allocated to the agency in the proposed estimate, comprising N1.2 billion for payment of external and internal examinations, and N52 million take off grant to fasttrack its upgrade.

He stated, “We also have capital projects as we were upgraded from a department to the status of an agency by this administration under the Ministry of Higher Education. The sum of N52 million is appropriated as a takeoff grant, including procurement of working materials and official car for the executive secretary. This will also include other works in schools like environmental conservation, tree planting campaigns, school monitoring and teacher evaluation. This is what the agency will be doing.’’

Mr Nayaya said the agency would procure 20 set of computers for digitalisation programme, and establish conservation clubs in senior secondary schools to encourage tree planting among students.

He added, “It is part of the mandate of the agency; we are going to create conservation clubs in all our senior schools, where each student will plant a tree and nurse it to maturity, to check desertification and erosion in the state.”

(NAN)