Over 12,000 secondary school students in Cross River State will sit their West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Examinations this year without bearing the cost of registration, after the State Government approved ₦339,903,000 to cover their fees.
The approval was one of several decisions reached at the first Executive Council meeting of 2026, held at the State Executive Council Chamber at the Governor's Office in Calabar. A total of 12,589 indigenous students will benefit from the intervention.
The State Government said the sponsorship is intended to reduce the financial pressure on families and widen access to examination opportunities for students across the State, particularly those from Underserved Communities. The initiative was described as consistent with the "People First" policy direction of Governor Bassey Edet Otu's administration.
For many families in Cross River State, the cost of WAEC registration has historically been a barrier that keeps otherwise capable students from sitting the examinations that determine their entry into tertiary education. A government sponsored registration removes that barrier entirely for the 12,589 students covered by the approval.
Education stakeholders have long argued that interventions of this kind produce measurable improvements in school retention, examination participation rates, and ultimately the number of Students who qualify for University and Polytechnic admission. Cross River's decision to fund registration for this scale of students at once signals a recognition that examination access, not just school enrolment, is where the gap often lies.
