Commissioner, foundation sponsor NECO fees for students in Delta
No fewer than 65 final-year students of Oginibo Secondary School in Oginibo, Delta State, have benefited from the full sponsorship of their National Examination Council (NECO) registration fees by the
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No fewer than 65 final-year students of Oginibo Secondary School in Oginibo, Delta State, have benefited from the full sponsorship of their National Examination Council (NECO) registration fees by the State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Izeze Rume Reuben, in partnership with FOOSTODEY Associates.
The beneficiaries, drawn from the Oginibo community and neighbouring areas, received the support as part of an intervention aimed at restoring access to examination opportunities and easing the financial burden on parents.
The initiative followed the successful reactivation of the NECO examination centre at the school, which had previously been deactivated.
The Commissioner’s attention was drawn to the situation in 2025 by his Special Assistant (Special Duties), Tisha Ejekanshe Matthew.
Acting on the information, Izeze engaged the zonal office of NECO, which conducted an assessment that led to the restoration of the centre after the school met the required standards.
Following the development, Izeze, alongside FOOSTODEY Associates, pledged to sponsor the first batch of candidates to sit for the examination at the reactivated centre.
Each student’s registration fee of N33,850 was fully covered, bringing the total sponsorship to N2,200,250.
Speaking during a brief address to the students at the school, Matthew, who represented the sponsors, urged the beneficiaries to justify the gesture through hard work and academic excellence.
He encouraged them to remain focused, form reading groups and prepare diligently for the examination.
In her remarks, the school principal, Evelyn Omejevwe-Ejiofor, expressed appreciation to the Commissioner and FOOSTODEY Associates for the intervention.
She noted that many students might have been unable to afford the registration fees without the support, describing the gesture as impactful and life-changing.
The principal also commended Izeze for his contributions to the school and community, including paying allowances for community teachers over the past two years.
However, she highlighted the challenges facing secondary education in rural communities and called on the Delta State Government to declare a state of emergency in grassroots education due to a shortage of teachers.
According to her, the school relies heavily on community-hired teachers, and key subjects like Mathematics, Chemistry, Economics, and Physics are understaffed.
She disclosed that only one teacher currently handles Physics, stressing the need to recruit qualified teachers to improve learning outcomes.
She also appealed for continued support from the Commissioner and other stakeholders to address the school’s pressing needs.
