A deactivated examination centre, a commissioner's intervention, and a private firm's sponsorship have combined to give 65 final year students in Delta State the chance to sit their National Examination Council (NECO) examinations this year without paying a kobo.

The students, all from Oginibo Secondary School in Oginibo, had their registration fees of ₦33,850 each covered in full by the Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Izeze Rume Reuben, in partnership with FOOSTODEY Associates. The total sponsorship amounted to ₦2,200,250, with beneficiaries drawn from Oginibo and surrounding communities.

The story behind the gesture traces back to 2025, when the Commissioner's Special Assistant on Special Duties, Tisha Ejekanshe Matthew, drew his attention to the fact that the NECO examination centre at the school had been deactivated. Izeze engaged the zonal office of NECO, which assessed the school and subsequently restored the centre after it met the required standards.

With the centre back in operation, the Commissioner and FOOSTODEY Associates made good on a pledge to fully fund the registration of the first batch of candidates to sit examinations there. Matthew represented the sponsors at a brief address to the students at the school, urging them to justify the support through hard work and academic dedication.

Beyond the financial relief for families, the restored centre carries practical significance for the wider community. Students in Oginibo and nearby areas no longer need to travel to distant venues to sit national examinations, a barrier that has historically added cost and stress to an already demanding process.