Recent publications to the general public on the National Examination Council (NECO) performance of Katsina State participants has made it necessary for the state government to respond to the negative allegations portraying the state education standard in a negative light.
The Katsina State Government, therefore, finds it expedient to address these inaccuracies to present the true picture of our students' commendable achievements.
Katsina State has earlier received the report of the students' performance in the just-concluded NECO examinations. The report captured not only ranks on some salient parameters but also the graphical representation making it easier for readers' comprehension.
Contrary to the erroneous report by some media outlets, our state is far from being at the bottom of the NECO rankings. In fact, we are proud to announce that our students have performed exceptionally well, placing Katsina among the top-performing states in Nigeria.
At the national level, Katsina State ranks 4th in terms of candidates' registration for the NECO examination, with an impressive 70,842 candidates. Following Kano (147,264), Lagos (89,387), and Oyo (80,752). This suggests that Katsina has a relatively high participation rate in the NECO exam.
More importantly, in terms of performance, Katsina State proudly stands at 6th position nationally. We have 29,633 candidates who achieved five credits and above, including mathematics and English. This outstanding result puts us ahead of many states, including some with traditionally strong educational reputations.
It's worth noting that only Lagos (65,296), Kano (65,264), Oyo (47,973) Benue (40,379) and Ogun (34,805) performed better than Katsina in this regard.
Our performance is particularly noteworthy when compared to other northern states. Katsina outperforms many of its northern neighbours, establishing itself as a regional leader in education within northern Nigeria.
Speaking of investments, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has over time registered his unwavering commitment to education. Since taking office, Governor Radda has seen education as a cornerstone of his administration. His government has implemented a series of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education in Katsina State. These include significant investments in teacher training and welfare, upgrading of school infrastructure across the state, and the implementation of innovative learning programmes, to the sponsorship of some Katsina State indigenes to study abroad.
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The results we're seeing today are a testament to these efforts paying off. Our jump to 6th place nationally is clear evidence that Governor Radda's educational policies are not just promises, but are yielding tangible results and in the coming years we should expect a more fascinating performance.
While we respect the press and their crucial role in our democracy and public engagement, we must express our disappointment with the publication emanating from these media outlets. Their reports are not just incorrect; their potentially harmful to the morale of our hardworking students and dedicated teachers. We urge concerned media houses to verify their facts before publication. As usual, the Katsina State Government's media authority's doors are always open for those seeking accurate information about the state's educational initiatives and achievements.
Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State
