By Ogalla Daniel
The Kogi State Ministry of Education, has presented its appraisal of the 2025 revised budget and unveiled the 2026 budget projections before the State House of Assembly, highlighting major achievements, challenges, and plans for strengthening the education sector.
Presenting the report, the Commissioner for Education. Hon Wemi Jones, said the ministry recorded appreciable improvements in key areas despite revenue shortfalls.
Hon Jones commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, for allocating 30% of the 2025 budget to education—an action he described as “a major driver of the state’s free education policy.”
According to him, the policy led to a significant reduction in the number of out-of-school children from 731,126 to 596,110, representing a drop of 135,015 within one academic session.
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The commissioner attributed the low capital performance to delayed releases and rising project costs.
The ministry highlighted several key accomplishments during the year, including: Sustained implementation of the Students Exchange Programme (SEP), across five northern states, Major upgrades in Government Abdul Aziz Atta Memorial College, Okene (boys) and Government Girls’ Model Secondary School, Obangede, Successful conduct of internal and external examinations, including WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, BECE, and FSLC.
Others are Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), to 13,359 adolescent schoolgirls under the AGILE project, Payment of ₦30,000 bursary to Kogi indigenes studying across tertiary institutions nationwide, Free education from basic to post-basic levels, including total removal of exam charges and Drafting of the Kogi State Gender in Education Policy, aimed at promoting equal access to learning.
He added that in 2026, the Ministry priority would focus on strengthening ongoing reforms to improve school quality, infrastructure and learning outcomes.
The commissioner assured lawmakers that the ministry was committed to “sustaining the human capital development agenda of the state.”
