​‌‌‍​‌​‍⁠By Rita Iliya

The Chanchaga Local Government Council has sponsored 300 students to sit for the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gesture is part of efforts to improve access to education and address the challenges of out-of-school youths.

Dr Mustapha Jibrin -Alheri, Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area, disclosed this on Saturday during a visit to Government Day Secondary School, Shakwatu, where the benefiting candidates were participating in the ongoing NECO SSCE.

Jibrin -Alheri said 116 of the 300 sponsored candidates were present at the examination centre, adding that the visit was necessary to encourage the beneficiaries to perform excellently in the examination.

He said the sponsorship was made possible through the support of Gov. Umaru Bago, whom he thanked for providing the necessary assistance to enable the council to implement programmes aimed at improving the welfare of residents.

The chairman explained that the initiative is designed to give young people who had dropped out of school another opportunity to obtain their secondary school certificates and pursue higher education.

According to him, the council spent about N30 million on the examination registration and related administrative arrangements as well as six-month preparatory training programme for the beneficiaries.

He said more than 1,000 candidates were trained during the programme, out of whom about 300 passed the required assessments and qualified to sit for the examination.

He urged the candidates to take their examinations seriously, stressing that the best way to appreciate the gesture was to perform well, become responsible citizens and serve as good ambassadors of their families and communities.

He encouraged the candidates, particularly the female candidates, to pursue their education and aspire to become professionals.

The Chairman said the council was also implementing other interventions to address youth unemployment, school dropout rates and economic challenges including empowerment programmes for more than 1,100 women operating small businesses.

He added that the council planned to introduce additional empowerment initiatives targeting youths and petty traders across all wards of the Local Government.

On healthcare, he said the council had made provisions to support vulnerable residents who could not afford medical bills, particularly patients referred to tertiary health facilities.

He further disclosed that the council was collaborating with the State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency to enroll vulnerable residents into health insurance scheme.

One of the beneficiaries, Fatima Aliyu, thanked the Chairman and Bago for sponsoring the examination, praying for more wisdom and strength for them to continue supporting the people.

Another beneficiary, Khadija Yusuf said the preparatory lessons in Mathematics and English had improved her readiness for the examination.

She said she was determined to double her efforts to pass the examination and secure admission into a university.

Also, another beneficiary, Amina Isah, expressed appreciation for the opportunity, saying the sponsorship had given candidates who previously lacked the financial means an opportunity to pursue their educational ambitions.

She pledged that the beneficiaries would work hard to justify the confidence reposed in them.(NAN)
Edited by Yakubu Uba