The Adamawa government has stated that only secondary school students who meet a 75 per cent attendance requirement and pass the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) mock exams will be eligible to sit the main examinations.

Garba Pella, the commissioner for education and human capital development, gave the warning at an emergency meeting with principals across 21 local government areas in Yola on Friday.

He had earlier expressed dismay over the outcome of the 2025 NECO results, as many students had failed to get good results.

Mr Pella said, “Henceforth, for students to qualify to write the exams, they must possess 75 per cent attendance and pass the mock examination.

“These will make the students be serious in their studies against their attitudes of ignoring school when they find themselves in their final year.”

The commissioner also warned principals of public secondary schools against registering external candidates for writing senior secondary school examinations.

Mr Pella said that, based on information, 99 per cent of principals registered external candidates to receive money because the state government is paying for NECO and WAEC.

“The reason why the state government is offering free WEAC and NECO is to ease the burden on some parents and guardians who cannot afford to pay for their children in public schools and to solve problems of out-of-school,” he said.

Mr Pella charged the principals to take ownership of government facilities in their respective schools, as the government had invested much in the development of education.

He further commended them for their roles in managing the schools and urged them to redouble their efforts as role models in shaping the minds of their students.

Dahiru Abubakar, president of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Adamawa chapter, appealed to the state government to introduce a responsibility allowance for principals.

(NAN)