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Tag: NECO

  • 68 inmates excel in 2025 NECO exams in Kano

    68 inmates excel in 2025 NECO exams in Kano

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Kano State Command, says 68 inmates have successfully passed the 2025 National Examination Council (NECO) examinations.

    The State Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Musbahu Lawan, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Kano.

    He said the feat was achieved under the Centre for Inmates’ Continuity Education, with full sponsorship by the Kano State Government.

    According to him, the initiative reflects the implementation of the Correctional Service Act, 2019, which emphasise rehabilitation and reformation of inmates through education and vocational training.

    “This success also reflects the directive of the Controller General of Corrections, CGC Sylvester Indidi-Nwakuche, urging all heads of custodial centres nationwide to ensure inmates are enrolled in both academic and vocational programmes.

    “The aim is to equip them with skills and knowledge that will help them reintegrate into society as responsible and productive citizens.

    “This effort is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed aimed at positively transforming the lives of Nigerians, including those in custodial facilities” he said

    The spokesperson added that the beneficiaries expressed joy over their success, describing it as a turning point in their lives.

    Read Also: NECO rewards workers, pupils for productivity, excellence

    He quoted the Controller of Corrections, Kano State Command, Mr Ado Inuwa, as expressing delight over the performance of the inmates and wishing them success in their journey of reformation.

    Lawan also quoted the Chairperson of the Prerogative of Mercy, Hajiya Azumi Namadi-Bebeje, as congratulating the inmates on their NECO examination success .

    She commended Gov. Abba Yusuf for his compassion and commitment to supporting the welfare of inmates in the state.

    Namadi-Bebeje reiterated the state government commitment to improving the lives of inmates by providing them with educational opportunities that would empower them to become positive ambassadors for themselves and society.

    (NAN)

  • NECO rewards workers, pupils for productivity, excellence

    NECO rewards workers, pupils for productivity, excellence

    National Examinations Council has honoured workers and pupils for their hard work, dedication, and performance.

    They were celebrated during the council’s 2024 Staff Productivity Awards in Minna, Niger State capital.

    Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, said the annual awards recognise workers in zones, states, and headquarters, as well as pupils, who excelled in its exams during the year.

    The registrar noted that the initiative celebrates productivity as well as motivates workers and learners.

    Read Also: Tinubu visits Kaduna Friday for wedding, courtesy call on Buhari family

    He said the awards were grouped into categories, including certificates for retirees, recognition for hardworking and dedicated staff, and prizes for best state coordinator, best driver, and top-performing pupils.

    Wushishi lauded stakeholders, who supported their activities in the last three years of his administration.

    Highlighting key achievements, he cited successful and transparent conduct of internal exams and prompt release of results, rancour-free promotion and development of ICT software.

  • NECO rewards staff, students for excellence

    NECO rewards staff, students for excellence

    The National Examinations Council (NECO) has honoured outstanding staff and students for their hard work, dedication, and exceptional performance during its 2024 Staff Productivity Awards held at the council’s headquarters in Minna.

    NECO’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, said the annual awards recognise staff across zonal, state, and headquarters offices, as well as students who excelled in NECO examinations during the year.

    He noted that the initiative celebrates productivity and motivates both workers and learners to aim higher.

    Wushishi explained that the awards were grouped into categories, including certificates of service for retirees, recognition for the hardest-working and most dedicated staff, and special prizes for the best state coordinator, best driver, and top-performing students nationwide.

    He also used the occasion to commend stakeholders who have supported NECO’s activities over the past three years of his administration.

    Read Also: 38 schools involved in exam malpractice, says NECO

    Highlighting key achievements, he cited the successful and transparent conduct of internal examinations and prompt release of results, a rancor-free staff promotion exercise, and the development of ICT software to ensure fairness in operations.

    Other milestones, according to him, include staff training programmes, acquisition of PS 900 series components for OMR scanning machines, provision of all-in-one computer systems for offices across the 36 states and Abuja, and the purchase of an e-Granary database to give subject officers access to digital learning resources.

    The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, who attended the event, praised Prof. Wushishi’s leadership, describing it as marked by quality and integrity.

    He also announced a donation of ₦1 million to the best-performing students honoured by the council.

  • 38 schools involved in exam malpractice, says NECO

    38 schools involved in exam malpractice, says NECO

    • Nine supervisors blacklisted •84.26 % of candidates score five credits

    The National Examinations Council (NECO) has disclosed that 38 schools in 13 states were involved in whole school cheating during the conduct of 2025 Internal Senior School Certificate Examination.

    Announcing this during the release of the 2025 Internal SSCE results yesterday, the NECO Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, said nine supervisors were recommended for blacklisting and 3,878 candidates were involved in various forms of malpractices.

    “Nine supervisors, which included three in Rivers, one in Niger, three in FCT, one in Kano and one in Osun State, were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, lateness, unruly behaviour, assault and insubordination.”

    He disclosed that the schools involved in mass cheating had been invited to the council for discussion after which appropriate sanctions would be applied.

    Dantani described the 2025 Internal SSCE as one of the most successful in recent time, adding that the result was being released 54 days after the last paper was written.

    The registrar said 1,367,210 registered for the examination and 1,345,339 sat for it.

    He added that 817,492, representing 60.26 per cent of the candidates, got five credits and above in all subjects, including Maths and English. According to him, 1,144,496, representing 84.26 per cent of the candidates, got five credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English.

    Dantani added that 1,622 candidates with special needs sat for the examination.

    “Candidates with hearing impairment were 586 males and 355 females, candidates with visual impairment were 111 males and 80 females, candidates with Albinism were 47 males and 53 females, candidates with Autism were 62 males and 33 females, candidates with low vision were 55 males and 55 females and candidates with Adermatoglyphia (a rare genetic disorder that results in the absence of fingerprints and the ridged patterns on the palms and soles of the feet) were 89 males and 96 females,” he said.

    Read Also: FG disburses N330bn to households under social protection Programme

    The registrar noted that the results of eight schools, which were affected by a communal clash in Lamorde Local Government in Adamawa State, were not released because the clash caused a disruption in the examination and the students could not complete the examination.

    He added that talks had commenced with the government with a view to conducting the examinations for the affected schools.

    The results, he said, could be assessed by the candidates on the NECO website, using their examination registration numbers.

    Dantani noted that the last examination conducted might be his last year as the Registrar of NECO, adding that he was proud of the giant strides he had implemented so far, pointing out that the level of malpractices had reduced in the last years, “as you see, the number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractices in 2025 is 3,878 as against 10,094 in 2024, which shows a reduction of 61.58 per cent.”

    He said the members of staff had doubled their efforts in strict compliance and monitoring of the examination, adding that the students had become aware that any mistake committed by them in the conduct of the examinations would mean endangering their progress.

    The registrar said that states that owed the examination body would not have their results released until they paid up.

    He disclosed that the council was working at infusing computer-based testing (CBT) into its examination, adding that the 2025 external examinations would be a combination of CBT and pen-on-paper.

  • NECO: 38 schools caught in examination malpractice in 13 states

    NECO: 38 schools caught in examination malpractice in 13 states

    …blacklists 9 supervisors

    …releases 2025 internal SSCR results 

    The National Examinations Council (NECO) disclosed that 38 schools in 13 states were involved in whole school cheating during the conduct of 2025 Internal Senior School.Certificate Examination.

    Announcing this durong the release of the 2025 Internal SSCE, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi said that nine supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision aiding and abetting, lateness, unruly behavior, assault and insubordination. 

    He disclosed tnat the schools involved in whole school mass cheating have been invited to the Council for discussuon after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.

    Read Also: We are not recruiting new staff – NECO

    Dantani described the 2025 Internal SSCE as one of the most successful in recent time adding that the reult is being released 54 days after the last paper was written.

    Speaking about the result, he daid that 60.26 per cent of the candidates got five Credits and above in all subjects including Maths and English while 84.26 per cent of the candidates got five Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English.

    Details shortly…

  • We are not recruiting new staff – NECO

    We are not recruiting new staff – NECO

    The National Examinations Council (NECO) said that it is not recruiting or planning to recruit new staff.

    Reacting to an online publication on Wednesday, the Director, Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, said that the publication is the product of the imagination of fraudsters who are out to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

    “The attention of the National Examinations Council (NECO) has been drawn to an online publication purporting that the Council is planning to recruit new staff.

    Read Also: NECO releases results of Unity Colleges, FGA

    “The Council hereby strongly states that the publication is the product of the imagination of fraudsters who are out to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.”

    Sani advised the public to disregard the publication, stressing that NECO, under the leadership of the Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, will always adhere to due process and relevant extant laws when the federal government approves staff recruitment.

  • Oyo maintains high female enrollment in WASSCE, NECO SSCE – Report

    Oyo maintains high female enrollment in WASSCE, NECO SSCE – Report

    Oyo State has maintained high female enrollment in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council Senior School Certificate Examination (NECO SSCE) with roughly equal participation by girls and boys across public schools.

    For the third year in a row, Saki East local government area is having consistently high performance in examinations while LGAs such as Ibarapa North, Iwajowa, Irepo, and Iseyin reported low progression rates with up to 90 percent of girls failing to achieve the necessary credits for advancement in some cases.

    The reports form parts of findings of the Volume II report of the State of Girl Child Education (SoGE) in Oyo State launched by a non governmental organization, Onelife Initiatives.

    Funded by Malala Funds, the report which was launched at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of educational equity for girls in the state by bringing together key stakeholders, who provided a comprehensive analysis of the current state of girl child education in the state.

    The stakeholders included representatives from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Women Affairs, civil society organisations, education networks, and students from eight public schools in the state

    Presenting the report, the Executive Director of Onelife Initiative, Sola Fagorusi, expressed concerns over the findings, stating that the drivers of high performance in Saki East Local Government Area of the state remained unclear and are not easily replicable in other areas where girls are consistently underperforming. 

    He emphasised the importance of using the report to inform decisions that would lead to impactful interventions for the growing population of girls in the state’s secondary schools and beyond.

    According to him, the findings of the report did not only celebrate progress, but also highlighted ongoing challenges, serving as an essential guide for future interventions aimed at empowering girls and fostering their academic success.

    He said: “The academic cycles of 2023 and 2024 reveal a complex and growing landscape for the girt child education in public secondary schools across Oyo State. Progress is evident in many districts, but persistent disparities highlight the urgent need for targeted intervention. 

    “Our findings in this Vol. II revealed that Oyo State maintained high female enrollment in both the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council Senior School Certificate Examination (NECO SSCE) with roughly equal participation by girls and boys across public schools

    “For the 2024 NECO SSCE, 13,202 girls sat for the public exam, compared to 11,351 in 2023, demonstrating both population growth and increased school retention. The pass rate for girls (minimum five credits including English and Mathematics) improved slightly from 52.2% (2023) to 54.8% (2024) in NECO SSCE. 

    “The gender gap is narrowing, boys saw a pass rate of 56.5% in 2024, compared to 54.8% for girls, thus down from a 6% gap in 2023. In some LGAs, girls matched or even outperformed boys. Standout performances for girts are still rare. 

    “Saki East led with a 62.6% pass rate among females, while the majority of LGAs recorded pass rates under 40% for girls. In the worst-performing LGAS, notably Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East, Afijio, Iseyin, and Irepo less than 2% of female candidates passed. Some rural LGAs sadly saw zero girts meet the benchmark.

    Read Also: Oyo Assembly approves appointment of civil, judicial service commissions members

    “Of note is the consistent colourful performance by Saki East Local Government in WASSCE and NECO SSCE over a 5-year period. What is however worrisome is that the drivers of these performances are not clear and duplicable in underperforming Local Government Areas like Ibarapa North, Iwajowa, Irepo, Iseyin and others where more than half and sometimes up to 9 in 10 girls failed to obtain the required credits for progression. 

    “Several schools in these areas reported no girls passing at all. It is not surprising that urban and relatively resource-rich LGAs displayed far better outcomes for girls. However, select rural locations (notably Saki East) demonstrated otherwise. The “urban advantage remains clear, but it is not absolute, focused interventions can and do deliver strong results even in rural spaces.”

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Segun Olayiwola, who was represented by the Local Inspector of Education, Ibadqn North, Mr. Kayode Okesade, praised Onelife Initiative’s efforts and reiterated the state’s commitment to girl child welfare through initiatives like Menstrual Hygiene Day and the Day of the Girl Child.

  • NECO releases results of Unity Colleges, FGA

    • Fed Govt lists criteria for admission

    The Federal Government has announced the release of the results of this year’s National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into the Junior Secondary School (JSS 1) of Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

    The government also released the results of the separate entrance examination conducted for admission into the Federal Government Academy (FGA) in Suleja, Niger State.

    The examination was conducted on June 14; it recorded 64,578 registered candidates, 61,290 sitting, and 3,288 absent.

    The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, announced the release of the results yesterday at a media briefing in Abuja in the company of the NECO Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Wushishi, who officially presented the results to the minister at the event.

    Ahmad said it was a moment of fulfilment and progress for basic education in Nigeria.

    She said: “Out of the maximum obtainable score of 210, 13 candidates obtained the highest score of 202, while 27 candidates obtained the lowest score of one.

    “This year, an unprecedented number of 52 candidates (two candidates from Lagos and 50 candidates from Rivers) were involved in examination malpractice.”

    Read Also: Reps committee pledges support for NECO, WAEC, others to boost education standards

    Commenting on the conduct of the FGA Suleja examination, Ahmad said 3,421 candidates registered, 3,141 sat, and 280 were absent.

    The highest score, the minister said, is 194, while the lowest is one.

    She explained that admission criteria remained 60 per cent merit, 30 per cent equality of states, and 10 per cent exigency.

    Ahmad directed the Senior Secondary Education Department to ensure prompt conclusion of admissions and in line with laid-down guidelines.

    She added: “It is common knowledge that our Federal Unity Colleges have become the first port of call for most parents in the country.

    “I want to assure all Nigerian parents that the government will continue to do its best to improve infrastructural development, feeding, and teacher quality for effective teaching and learning in our colleges.”

  • 1.3m students sit for NECO’s SSCE

    1.3m students sit for NECO’s SSCE

    • Govt may adopt private CBT centres for NECO, WAEC, other exams next year

    About 1,367,210 candidates are presently sitting for the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) across the country, using a dual mode of Computer Based Testing (CBT) and Paper Pencil Testing (PPT).

    Of the number, 685,551 candidates are male, while over 681,300 are female.

    Kano State is listed among the highest number of registered candidates with more than 137,000 enrolment, while Kebbi had a little above 5,000.

    NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, announced this yesterday during the monitoring of the conduct of the examination at a pilot CBT centre, SASCON International School, Maitama, Abuja. He was accompanied by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

    It was the first time NECO ever explored the use of CBT to conduct the O-Level examination in select centres across Nigeria.

    Alausa recently mandated NECO and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to begin the conduct of their examinations, using CBT by 2026.

    NECO deployed some already established schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in its pilot phase.

    Asked to explain how feasible it would be to deploy CBT to conduct NECO’s SSCE at the post-basic level, Wushishi said: “NECO is ready as a professional body to conduct examinations using any medium.

    “We may have challenges with infrastructure; that is obvious. But then, that will not bog us down not to do it.

    “There are facilities that will allow us to conduct CBT, and we are good to go for that. We are all aware that there are certain difficult terrains across the countries where we will not be able to meet up with that, except if there are exceptional infrastructures to give us the opportunity to do that.

    “But by and large, we are very, very much ready to do that as a professional body. Provisional infrastructures, we are calling for the government at the state level to speed up making provision for CBT infrastructures in their states.”

    “We highly support the process. Because we believe the process will reduce a lot of issues that have to do with examination malpractice and improve the quality of the examination and consequently, the results and certificates.

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    “We are very happy that the results and certificates are recognised globally, and we need to also do more to reach out across the world on our certificates and results. So, NECO is fully ready as far as that is concerned.

    “For this year, a total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for SSCE, the highest figure so far. Of these, 685,551 are male, and over 681,300 are female. Kano State had the highest number of registered candidates, with more than 137,000, while Kebbi had the least, just above 5,000.

    “The lowest number of candidates was the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which registered eight students.”

    Alausa noted that to make the process hitch-free, candidates might need to take the examination outside their immediate school environment.

    He said: “WAEC and NECO examinations are school-based exams being conducted at their schools. No, we will move away from that.

    “It is going to be like (the way) Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams are conducted at CBT centres. We have thousands of CBT centres across the nation.

    “Those are the centres that we are going to use. It’s not the case that students do not have the facilities. Schools do have the facilities.

    “We have enough people. We also have to expand the value chain of these CBT centres. They should not just be to service JAMB alone.

    “They should be able to service WAEC and NECO. The proprietors of these businesses, the owners of these businesses, have invested billions of Naira to set up these CBT centres. So we also have to help develop a new value chain in our economy.

    “They will create jobs. You see a lot of computers, hardware, and software. And more importantly, we have entrepreneurs in Nigeria who are creating, developing these solutions. These are homegrown solutions. We should all be proud. Today, we should all stand tall and be proud of what we utilise.

    “These are the kinds of opportunities that President Bola Tinubu is unleashing in every sector of this economy.”

    Alausa praised NECO for its preparedness to fully transition to CBT, noting that the pilot was a demonstration of capacity and commitment to reform.

    “This is the first in the history of NECO, which is conducting its annual O-Level Certificate exams for SS3 students. This is a pilot that we pushed to have, and I must tell you, I was very impressed with what I saw. I have to commend the Registrar of NECO for the hard work that he and his team have deployed to get us to this stage, because when we decided that we’re going to go CBT, everybody thought this was an insurmountable task, but today, we’ve seen that this is a process, this is a transition that is possible.

    “We just have to work hard to get there. We cannot continue with this madness of exam practice, our exams being caught with cheating, leaked questions, both WAEC and NECO. If we allow this to continue, it will destroy the capacity of our youth, of our children.”

    He also disclosed a phased rollout of CBT format across all school exams, starting with objective questions this year.

    “I’m a very happy person today that NECO has transitioned to CBT from paper-based. By November of this year, both NECO and WAEC objective exams will be full CBT.

    “By next year, 2026, all the essays and objective exams will be CBT. NECO and WAEC will be joining the league of JAMB. We are making significant progress,” he added.

  • 1.3m students sit for NECO’s SSCE

    1.3m students sit for NECO’s SSCE

    …govt may adopt private CUT centres for NECO, WAEC, other exams next year

    About 1,367,210 candidates are presently sitting for the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) across the country using dual mode of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and Paper Pencil Testing (PPT).

    Of the 1,367,210 candidates, 685,551 are male while over 681,300 are female.

    Kano state is listed among the highest number of registered candidates, with more than 137,000 enrolments, while Kebbi had the least, just above 5,000.

    NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this on Tuesday during the monitoring of the conduct of the examination at a pilot CBT centre, SASCON International School, Maitama, Abuja on Tuesday in the company of Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

    The examination marks the first time NECO is exploring the use of CBT to conduct the O-level examination in select centres in Nigeria.

    Alausa had recently mandated NECO and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to begin the conduct of their examinations, using CBT by 2026.

    To this end, NECO deployed some already established schools in the FCT in its pilot phase.

    Asked to explain how feasible it would be to deploy CBT to conduct the examination at the post-basic level, Wushishi said, “NECO is ready as a professional body to conduct examinations using any medium.

    He added: “We may have challenges of infrastructure, that is obvious, but then that will not bog us down not to do it.

    Read Also: Alleged $854K, N590m fraud: Court rejects Afriq Arbitrage CEO’s third bail request

    “There are facilities that will give us the opportunity to conduct CBT, and we are good to go for that. We are all aware that there are certain difficult terrains across the countries where we will not be able to meet up with that, except that there are exceptional infrastructures to give us the opportunity to do that.

    “But by and large, we are very, very much ready to do that as a professional body. Provisional infrastructures. We are calling for the government at the state level to speed up making provision for CBT infrastructures in their states.

    “We highly support the process. Because we believe the process will reduce a lot of issues that have to do with examination malpractice and improve the quality of the examination and, consequently, the results and certificates.

    “We are very happy that the results and certificates are recognised globally, and we need to do more in order to reach out across the world on our certificates and results. So NECO is fully ready as far as that is concerned.

    “For this year, a total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for SSCE, the highest figure so far. Of these, 685,551 are male and over 681,300 are female. Kano State had the highest number of registered candidates with more than 137,000, while Kebbi had the least, just above 5,000.

    “The lowest number of candidates was the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which registered eight students.”

    Alausa said that to make the process hitch-free, candidates might need to take the examination outside their immediate school facility.

    He said, “WAEC and NECO exams are school-based exams being conducted at their schools. No, we will move away from that.

    “It is going to be like (the way) JAMB exams are being conducted at CBT centres. We have thousands of CBT centres across the nation.

    “Those are the centres that we are going to use. It’s not the case that students do not have the facilities. Schools do have the facilities.

    “We have enough people. We also have to expand the value chain of these CBT centres. They should not just serve JAMB alone.

    “They should be able to service WAEC and NECO. The proprietors of these businesses, the owners of these businesses, have invested billions of Naira to set up these CBT centres. So we also have to help develop a new value chain in our economy.

    “They will create jobs. You see a lot of computers, hardware, and software. And more importantly, we have entrepreneurs in Nigeria who are creating, developing these solutions. These are homegrown solutions. We should all be proud. Today, we should all stand tall and be proud of what we utilise.

    “These are the kinds of opportunities that President Bola Tinubu is unleashing in every sector of this economy.”

    Alausa further commended NECO for its preparedness to fully transition to CBT, noting that the pilot was a demonstration of capacity and commitment to reform.

    “This is the first in the history of NECO, which is conducting its annual O-Level Certificate exams for SS3 students. This is a pilot that we pushed to have, and I must tell you, I was very impressed with what I saw. I have to commend the Registrar of NECO for the hard work that he and his team have deployed to get us to this stage, because when we decided that we’re going to go CBT, everybody thought this was an insurmountable task, but today, we’ve seen that this is a process, this is a transition that is possible.

    “We just have to work hard to get there. We cannot continue with this madness of exam practice, our exams being caught with cheating, leaked questions, both WAEC and NECO. If we allow this to continue, it will destroy the capacity of our youth, of our children.”

    He also disclosed a phase rollout of CBT format across all school exams, starting with objective questions this year.

    “I’m a very happy person today that NECO has transited to CBT from paper-based. By November of this year, both NECO and WAEC objective exams will be full CBT.

    “By next year, 2026, all the essays and objective exams will be CBT. NECO and WAEC will be joining the league of JAMB. We are making significant progress,” he added.