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  • Lagos commissioner urges SSCE candidates to approach exam with positive mindset

    Lagos commissioner urges SSCE candidates to approach exam with positive mindset

    The Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has advised students sitting for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to approach the exercise with positive mindset.

    The Commissioner, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, noted that the approach will lead to successful performance in WASSCE and Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).

    Alli-Balogun affirmed that the state, on its part, has devised preparations to empower students for WASSCE and NECO through, ‘Eko Learners’ Support Programme’ and other initiatives.

    “The Eko Learners’ Support Programme’  initiative is an additional support by the ministry through our engagement with private sectors within the education eco-system, to ensure that Lagos State candidates record impressive results in external examinations.

    “We called for swift action to revive various school activities that tap into students’ natural learning abilities to stimulate their physical and mental well-being, including reactivation of co-curricular activities that foster holistic development in students.

    Read Also: More Equatorial Guinea schools accredited to write NECO’s SSCE, BECE

    “As part of our rules of engagement, principals and vice principals of all schools were being mandated to teach for six and eight periods weekly, been part of our strategies to improve students’ performance.

    “Also, we also started implementation of strategies that promote interactive learning, such as incorporating hands-on activities, experiments, and projects.

    “This forward-thinking initiatives were  designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment at advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” he expressed.

    The commissioner explained the e-learning platform as a comprehensive programme was tailored to assist Senior Secondary School final year students to achieve academic excellence in the two major exercise.

    According to him, the students sitting for the examinations have been adequately prepared, however, I urge you all to put in your best efforts, avoid malpractices and get good grades.

    “We have provided an enabling environment that will lead to impressive academic outcomes and good results of our students sitting for the 2025 WASSCE and targeted to raise the standards of Education Lagos State.

    “The Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is intentional about academic excellence of our students and the idea is to improve overall performance of students.

    “This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the Ministry’s commitment at advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” he said.

    Alli-Balogun noted that The Eko Learners’ Support initiative was designed to broadcast a head-start of 320 lessons in 10 different subjects; English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government and History.

    He gave other subjects as Literature-in-English and Yoruba on Lagos Television (LTV) and other social platforms, adding, “with proficient teachers, who were painstakingly recruited through a thorough and rigorous screening process”.

  • NECO accredits schools in Niger, Equatorial Guinea for SSCE, BECE

    NECO accredits schools in Niger, Equatorial Guinea for SSCE, BECE

    The National Examination Council (NECO) said it has accredited more foreign schools in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea in a bid to expand its global presence.

    NECO’s acting director of public relations, Azeez Sanni announced this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

    The examination body had last year accredited some centres in Niger Republic to enable Nigerian students in the Francophone country to sit for its examinations.

    The statement said: “Determined to broaden its horizon and expand its global presence, the National Examinations Council has accredited more foreign schools to write the Senior School Certificate Examination and the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

    “The newly accredited schools, in addition to the existing ones, are in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea.

    “NECO accreditation team visited the Schools to assess their readiness to write the SSCE and BECE.

    “The accreditation 5eam inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer laboratories, workshops, examination halls, and sports facilities to determine their adequacy and suitability for NECO examinations.

    Read Also: NECO refutes claims of unpaid examiners

    “After a thorough evaluation and comprehensive assessment, the schools were granted full SSCE and full BECE accreditation status.”

    Meanwhile, candidates are participating in the ongoing NECO SSCE External in Diffa, Niger Republic.

    According to the council, the UNHCR School, Diffa, Niger Republic, is the first NECO SSCE External Centre outside Nigeria.

    NECO examinations are now written by candidates in Benin Republic, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

  • Old Boys pay SSCE fees of 41 Alma mata final-year students

    Old Boys pay SSCE fees of 41 Alma mata final-year students

    Parents and students at Government Secondary School, Ilorin, Kwara State, rejoiced as the 1984 set of the school paid the 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) fees for 41 exceptional students.

    According to the providers, the award initiative marks the 40th anniversary of the alumni’s graduation and is designed to promote hard work and foster a culture of academic excellence.

    This is as the 1984 Set of the Government Secondary School Ilorin Old Boys’ Association also urged individuals and corporate entities to invest in brilliant secondary school students, emphasizing that the nation’s future depends on its talented youth, capable of competing globally.

    Muhammad Baba-Okanla, Chairman of the 1984 Set, explained that covering the SSCE fees for the students was a key part of their 40th-anniversary celebration.

    Speaking at the event held at the school, Baba Okanla, who is also the Chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), highlighted that the empowerment project was a collective decision by over 300 members of the Set, both locally and abroad.

    He further noted that the Set had a tradition of supporting the school through various infrastructure projects, such as renovating the Physics and Chemistry laboratories, Gambari House, and the School Mosque; providing furniture for the library, mattresses for boarders, and boreholes for water supply.

    According to him, for their 40th anniversary, the Set chose to prioritize empowering students in their academic pursuits, considering it the most impactful way to support the school and its community.

    He said: “It was a unanimous decision of our entire members that the empowerment intervention should be carried out and institutionalized, which was responsible for the overwhelming contributions of our men based at home and abroad.

    “We are also not unmindful of the fact that the maintenance culture in our society is poor considering that we had previously and consistently donated construction and rehabilitation projects in the school and we are always not too happy seeing how they have turned out after some years later.

    “It is on this basis that we felt that we should invest in our brilliant young ones, who have shown the capacity to be competitive anywhere they found themselves.

    “This gesture was a result of selfless effort and commitment of our members both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

    “To mark this 40 Anniversary, the 1984 Set has resolved to pay the WASSCE registration fees for 41 students of the School based on merit.

    “Our Set is also considering the establishment of an endowment fund, for the sustainability of the WASSCE registration fees payment scheme”.

    The State Commissioner of Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Moddibo Kawu, in her remarks commended the Old Boys for not abandoning their Alma Mata, saying, “As we gather today, we honour the pioneers who laid the foundation of this Association.

    “You remember the struggles, the triumphs and the countless contributions you have made to the community.

    “Over the years, your association has achieved remarkable feats like mentorship programmes and infrastructural development in your Alma mater.

    “As you look to the future, I charge you to continue being great ambassadors of the school as you continue to inspire and mentor the next generation”.

    In his goodwill message, Hon. Justice Zubayr Saliu of the Kogi State High Court urged the students not to disappoint those who provided the intervention, as well as their parents and society.

    He also encouraged others to follow the example of the 1984 alumni by giving back to their alma mater.

    Represented by Taye Matthew Odedeji, the UNESCO Desk Officer and Deputy Director of School Services at the Kwara State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, the Commissioner assured the audience of the State government’s commitment to maintaining high educational standards.

    She emphasized that the Executive Governor of the State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and remains dedicated to improving the quality of education through infrastructural support and empowering alumni associations.

    “I therefore urge you to renew your commitment to your association through increased involvement in its activities support its initiatives and inspire others to join your noble cause” she added.

    In his remarks, the school’s principal, Ahmed Kuranga Yero, himself an alumnus, praised the Class of 1984 for their remarkable initiative, noting that it was the first of its kind in the school’s history, adding that the Old Boys might not fully realize the profound impact of their gesture.

    Yero, however, assured that the initiative would inspire all final-year students to strive for excellence, with hopes of being future award recipients.

    Read Also: 2024 SSCE: 60.55% of 1,367,736 c candidates pass English, Mathematics, three other subjects

    He urged other alumni to follow the example set by the Class of 1984, noting that their gesture would leave a lasting impression on both the students and their parents.

    The State’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Victor Olaiya, the Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in the State, Umar Muhammed; and the State Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Hajia Fatima Abiola-Popoola, among others, delivered goodwill messages, offering congratulations and words of encouragement to the students and the celebrants.

    In his anniversary lecture, titled ‘Education Yesterday, today and Tomorrow: Challenges and Prospects’, Prof. Raheem Lawal from the Department of Arts Education, University of Ilorin, emphasized the vital role education plays in both individual lives and society.

    He urged alumni not to neglect their alma mater or the friendships forged during their school years.

    The event, which also featured a prayer session and gala night, culminated in the presentation of awards to the 41 outstanding students, witnessed by their proud parents and members of the public.

  • 2024 SSCE: Benue education quality assurance agency rolls out guidelines

    Ahead of the beginning of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) registration, the Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency has rolled out registration guidelines for private and public schools.

    The agency said the decision became necessary after it discovered that schools were floating entries for registration of school candidates for the 2024 SSCE Examinations by West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

    In a statement, the agency’s Director-General, Dr. Terna Francis, indicated that every school that would register candidates for SSCE  must be cleared by the agency before proceeding to register pupils for any of the examination bodies.

    Read Also: Tinubu approves three resolutions to reduce pharmaceutical costs, bridge brain drain in health sector

    The statement directed principals and proprietors to provide attendance validating the enrolment history of students sitting for the examination from SS1 to 2023/2024 academic session at the agency’s Headquarters in Makurdi.

    “All schools must have their candidates validated to ascertain the authenticity and enrolment history of the same. Therefore, schools must bring Attendance Registers for 2021/2022, 2022/2023 sessions, to show when their candidates were in SS1 and SS2 as well as the Attendance Registers of the current session (2023/2024).

    “Schools are to provide the 2023 Mock SSCE results of the candidates they are presenting for the exercise. In addition, all schools are to present evidence of up-to-date payment of all statutory levies before they shall be cleared,” the statement by the D-G stated.

  • 12,084 malpractice cases recorded in Nov/Dec exams – NECO

    The National Examination Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2018 November/December Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) recording 12,084 malpractice cases.

    The Acting Registrar, Abubakar Mohammed Gana while announcing the release of the result at NECO headquarters in Minna said there is an upward trend of candidates involvement in various examination malpractice offences in 2018 when compared to 2017.

    Top among the malpractice cases include aiding and abetting, seeking and receiving help from non-candidates where 6,034 cases were recorded and impersonation where 1,735 cases were recorded.

    Mathematics with 1,967 and English language with 1,756 recorded the highest number of malpractice cases.

    The Acting Registrar said that the increase in candidates’ involvement in various examination malpractice offences reflects the desperation by candidates to cut corners.

    “This also shows the determination by the Council to apprehend the culprits, in line with our zero tolerance for examination malpractice.”

    Gana further said that 37,069 candidates out of 59,963 students representing 62.48 per cent who registered for the examination got five Credits and above including English language and Mathematics.

    He added that 47,031 candidates representing 79.27 per cent got five credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

    “A total of 28 subjects were examined, the number of candidates that sat for English Language is 57,842 out of which 44,497 representing 79.93 per cent got either Distinction or Credit while 57,275 sat for Mathematics out of which 47,151 representing 82.32 for either Distinction or Credit.

    “A comparative analysis of candidates who scored five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics for 2017 and 2018 shows 56.79 per cent for 2017 and 62.48 per cent for 2018. This represents an increase of 5.69 per cent in 2018.”

    Gana further enjoined candidates to note that result checker cards will no longer be used to check their results online urging them to log to the Council website and follow the prompt which will enable them purchase a token that will be used to access their results.

  • Breaking: NECO releases Nov/DEC 2018 results

    The National Examinations Council, ( NECO ), has released the result of the 2018 November/December Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for external candidates.

    The Acting Registrar, NECO, Mr Abubakar Gana, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

    According to Gana, 59,963 candidates registered for the examination and were examined in about 28 subject areas.

    He noted that a total of 37,069 candidates representing 62.48 per cent got five credits and above including English, while 47,031 candidates, representing 79.27 per cent got five credits and above, including Mathematics.

    While giving further breakdown of the performance of candidates, he said that 57,842 sat for English Language out of which 44,497, representing 76.93 got either distinction or credit.

    He added that 57,275 sat for Mathematics, out of which 47,151 representing 82.32 per cent got either distinction or credit.

    “A comparative analysis of candidates, who scored five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics for 2017 and 2018 shows 56.79 per cent for 2017 and 62.48 per cent for 2018.

    “This represents an increase of 5.69 per cent,” he said.

    On irregularities during the exercise, Gana said that there was an upward trend in candidates’ involvement in examinations malpractice as compared to 2017.

    According to him, a total of 12,084 candidates were caught cheating as against 4,425 in 2017.

    He said the increase in cases of exam malpractice reflects the desperation by candidates seeking to cut corners and the determination of the council to apprehend culprits in line with its zero tolerance for examination malpractice.

    Read Also: FG slashes JAMB, NECO, SSCE exams fees

    He noted that candidates cheated more in mathematics, English language, Biology and Economics subject areas because those subjects seem to pose problems for candidates.

    Gana, however, enjoined candidates to note that result checker cards would no longer be used to check results.

    He urged all the candidates that participated in the examination to log on to the council’s website-www.neco.gov.ng and click on NECO results to purchase a token that could be used to access their results.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the November/December SSCE is usually conducted for external candidates unlike the June/July SSCE, which is mainly conducted for school based candidates.

  • NECO Releases June/July SSCE Results

    The National Examination Council ( NECO ) on Monday released the 2018 June/July Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) with 71.48 per cent of the students obtaining five Credit Pass and above including English Language and Mathematics.

    Announcing the release of the results on Monday in Minna, the acting Registrar, Abubakar Mohammed Gana said that there is a 0.63 per cent improvement in the general performance of candidates in 2018 as compared with 2017.

    Read Also: Niger owes WAEC, NECO N664M

    According to him, 875,464 out of 1,032,729 candidates which represents 84.77 per cent that sat for the examination in Nigeria and other countries got five credits and above while 84.54 per cent got credit pass and above in English Language and 850,331 candidates representing 82.34 per cent obtained credit pass and above in Mathematics.

    Gana said that 20,181 malpractice cases were detected observing that there were over 7,960 cases of candidates copying from foreign materials while Mathematics was the most cheated subject followed by English Language.

  • WAEC to conduct SSCE in January

    WAEC to conduct SSCE in January

    Registration is ongoing for private candidates wishing to complete their ‘O’ level subjects, to write a new diet of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in January.

    The Head of Nigerian National Office (HNO), West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Olu Adenipekun, said yesterday at a news briefing at the council’s testing and training centre in Ogba, Lagos that with the January/February diet, WAEC would conduct three examinations yearly.

    The other two are the May/June WASSCE for school candidates and November/December WASSCE for private candidates.

    Adenipekun, however, said only 19 subjects would be examined in the new diet, adding that centres would be located in urban areas in the Federal Capital Territory and other states, except Borno, until the examination gained popularity.

    The approved subjects are: Commerce, Financial Accounting, Christian Religious Studies, Economics, Geography, Government, Islamic Studies, Literature in English, English language, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Further Mathematics, General Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Civic Education.

    The HNO said registration for the new diet opened in October and would close on December 29.

    Explaining the reason for introducing the new diet, Adenipekun said it was in response to the agitations of private candidates for more opportunities to retake the examination within a shorter period.

    He said: “The conduct of an additional diet of the WASSCE for private candidates became necessary because WASSCE for school candidates is written first every year and the results are released before the conduct of the WASSCE for private candidates. Therefore, school candidates who wish to retake the examination usually have the opportunity of doing so with the private candidates’ examination.

    “But with growing concern among stakeholders over what they perceive as discrimination or denial of equal opportunity against private candidates, there has been a deluge of agitation, criticism and appeal across West Africa for the council to find a way of reducing the agony of long waiting experienced by the private candidates who desire another shot at WASSCE.

    “This situation is often cited as being responsible for the level of desperation oftentimes displayed by the perpetrators of examination malpractice at the private candidates’ examination centres. The council has also observed with chagrin the penchant by external candidates to register for the WASSCE for school candidates, which has led to an astronomical increase in malpractice during the examination.

    “Council, which is the Governing Board of WAEC, after thorough deliberations on the issue, approved that National Offices should begin the conduct of one additional diet every year for private candidates.

    “I am delighted to inform you that preparations for the conduct of WASSCE for private candidates in 2018, first series, are in full gear. All hands are on deck to ensure that a remarkable success is recorded during the conduct of the examination.”

    Adenipekun said the new diet is being conducted only by Nigeria.

  • ‘How I got nine A1 in SSCE’

    ‘How I got nine A1 in SSCE’

    A 17-year old student of Unique Heights Secondary School, Omole Estate, Lagos, Joseph Lambo, who scored A1 in the nine subjects he wrote in the just released Senior School Certificate Examination, (SSCE) has attributed his success to hard work and God.

    Lambo who was named after his late grandfather, Dr Joseph Lambo, former Chairman, Board of Traditional Medicine, had A1 in Marketing, Further mathematics, General mathematics, English Language, Civic Education, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Studies.

    Speaking on how he achieved the feat, the young Lambo said, “I give all glory to God over the academic achievement. Most of the time, when I feel that something is difficult and unattainable, I just pray to God and I believe that God always helps me to achieve it.

    “I have always been coming first in school. The SSCE was like a challenge because all the examinations, where I had been getting the best results were internal examinations. People did not know that I could repeat the same feat in an external examination. The best result in my school last year was seven As and it was a challenge for me to surpass that.

    “Apart from that, I had to read hard.  Sometimes I slept 4am and woke up 6am just because I was reading. I was also able to succeed through the help of my friends and I thank my parents for their financial and mental support throughout. I also give thanks to God “, he said.

    For Lambo who says he wants to study Medicine, it was not just all reading; he also had time for extracurricular activities, especially sports.

    “Apart from academics, I watch and play football. This even helps me in my academics. I am motivated to work hard by watching footballers because the amount they earn is unbelievable. Sometimes, I just feel that if I work hard I could be known or be celebrated as much as them. Apart from football, I am also good on the computer. I used to make games but had to stop so I could put more efforts in my academics. I still hope to use my knowledge of computer and coding in future so that it could help me after finishing school.”

    Thanking his parents, Mr and Mrs Michael Adegbola Lambo, for their roles, Lambo said, “From primary school, my parents have always been a determining factor in all my achievements. My father and mother always spend time to help me in my assignments and they paid for one lesson or the other for me apart from paying my school fees. The support and the motivation they have been giving me are helpful. I don’t think I could have done what I did without them.

    On why he wants Medicine rather than computer engineering, which he also loves, Lambo said: “Initially, I wanted to study computer engineering, but after researching a bit, I discovered that I could learn about it outside the university. The course that actually appeals to me is medicine and I would study computer engineering outside the university. Having knowledge in the two fields would be helpful to me because the world is moving and we cannot do without computer engineers and doctors.”

    Although he scored 275 in the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Lambo said he would have done better but for problems in his examination centre.

    “I have written JAMB and I scored 275, but the computer I used had problem and I could not start until 30 minutes after others had started. Also, there were errors in my English Language paper, the nearest in meaning was opposite in meaning and I lost about 40 points because of that mistake,” he said.

    Lambo chose the University of Lagos for university education; but he is also seeking scholarship to study outside the country.

    “I have applied for scholarship within and outside the country and I have written many examinations to that effect. I have been reading since I finished. I still have some scholarship awards examinations to write in October and November and if they work out, I hope to have full scholarship awards to study in the United States of America (USA).”

    Sharing his philosophy of life, the teenager said he believes in setting and achieving goals.

    “I believe that one should set goals and be determined to achieve your goals in life. Nothing can stop me from being the best. When I was in year nine, I was not a sport person and someone once said football was not for me; so I decided to prove the person wrong. There is nothing I cannot do if I set my mind on it. I was the captain of the soccer team. So, the mentality one should have is to be the best in whatever you do and don’t settle for anything less,” he said.

    Thanking God for her son’s achievement, his Mother, Mrs Olubunmi Lambo, said his result was not surprising.

    “Right from his days in kindergarten to primary school he was always the best graduating student. He started to be the best again from year seven at Unique Heights, which is the secondary school, till he graduated. So, when the SSCE result came out, it was not a surprise because we had been expecting him to be the best, but all the same, all glory goes to God.”

    She believes her son’s performance is hereditary.

    “I would say it is hereditary because my father-in-law, the late Dr Joseph Lambo was the best in his field as a medical doctor. My son was named after him. Also, my husband was the best graduating student in his time in the University of Lagos. My other children are like that too,” she said.

     

  • NECO records 70 per cent pass

    NECO records 70 per cent pass

    THE National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the result of its 2017 June/July Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) with 745,053 candidates – about 70.85 per cent – making five credits and above in English Language and Mathematics.

    Announcing the release of the results yesterday in Minna, its Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Charles Uwakwe, said 1,051,472 candidates sat for the examination.

    He said 903,690 candidates made credit and above in English Language, 849,335 got credit and above in General Mathematics), 561,437 in Economics and 599,093 (Biology).

    Uwakwe added that the result showed 1.11 per cent improvement in candidates’ performance compared with 2016 results.

    Ekiti State, he said, emerged top in students’ performance with 85 per cent scoring five credits and above, including Mathematics and English.

    Edo and Bayelsa states came second and third with 84.61 and 84.52 per cent.

    The examination body said 276 schools were involved in mass cheating in 34 states and six schools have been derecognised for examination malpractice.

    Also, 23 supervisors that aided malpractice were blacklisted.

    Kebbi State top the chart in malpractice cases with 8,124 candidates involved and Bauchi and Borno states followed with 5,458 and 3,980 students.

    He noted that 50,586 candidates were involved in examination malpractices, which increased the rate of offence from 4.29 per cent in 2016 to 4.81 per cent in 2017.

    It represents 0.52 per cent in cases of malpractice compared with 2016.

    The registrar, who hailed the staff for their courage and determination in keeping the integrity of the examination body intact, stated that the standard of NECO will continue to remain uncompromised.