Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has approved the release of ₦1,390,209,350.00 to cover the 2026 West African Examinations Council examination fees for 39,536 students enrolled in public secondary schools across the state, under the administration's free and compulsory education policy.

Commissioner for Information and Reorientation, Zainab Jalingo, confirmed that the approved sum covers CASS offload, administrative charges, practicals, monitoring, sensitisation, remuneration, school albums, registration PINs and other related examination expenses.

The intervention does not stop at WAEC. Jalingo disclosed that the Taraba State Government is set to settle examination fees for 38,000 students scheduled to sit the National Examinations Council examination as the next phase of the initiative, further expanding access to external examinations for students across the state.

Governor Kefas also approved an additional ₦243,832,615.00 to support food contractors and transporters involved in the state's Students Exchange Programme. Jalingo provided a detailed breakdown of the allocation: ₦148,565,040.00 is earmarked for the feeding of students at Government Comprehensive Secondary School Jalingo and Government Day Secondary School Wukari, while ₦52,750,490.00 and ₦42,517,085.00 are set aside for the transportation of indigenous and non indigenous students participating in the exchange programme across the 19 northern states.

Jalingo framed the approvals as part of a sustained government commitment to the education sector. These interventions reflect the administration's sustained commitment to strengthening the education sector by ensuring that students participate seamlessly in both internal and external academic programmes. Through the free education policy, the government continues to expand access to education, improve learning infrastructure, and provide critical support that enables students across the state to pursue their academic aspirations," she stated.

She added that "with these interventions, the Taraba State Government remains committed to ensuring that children in the state have no reason to be out of school, as the administration continues to prioritise education as a foundation for sustainable development."