The National Examination Council, NECO, one of Nigeria’s examination bodies is striving to take the lead in the state-of-the-art ICT facilities.
This in recent times propelled the conduct and timely release of results to students for life-changing globally accepted basic school certificates.
NECO which was established in 1999, has gone through many forms of analog/digital transformation. However, innovations in the last two years have taken the exam body to an enviable position climaxing in the NECO 2023 SSCE result becoming the best in recent years.
Data obtained from NECO shows that in the applauded 2023 SSCE result, 61.60% of the total number of applicants scored five credits and above with Mathematics and English, while candidates who scored five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics, represent 84.68%.
The Council said; “Processing and release of the whole result were made possible within 58 days after the exam. A feat largely attributed to its secured high-speed internet and digital facilities.”
Before this height and in response to the realities of 21st-century technology, a massive mast was installed to provide services in NECO offices.
It said; “An upgrade of the bandwidth of 20mph installed for internet services to 50 mph was carried out because it was found to be inadequate to service the staff effectively and efficiently. This gave way to the provision of a cutting-edge e-library to enhance access to information and data on educational assessment, enhance job efficiency in Test Development, Quality Assurance, and curbing examination malpractice as well as other infractions associated with public examinations.”
In addition to this was the introduction of the use of stanine software in determining Grade Boundaries for BECE, SSCE Internal, and SSCE External examinations, which is an innovation in the history of NECO. There was also the unveiling of the NECO e-verify App for Result Verification/Confirmation in 2023, the acquisition components of Ps 900 Series for OMR Scanning Machines at the ICT Department, and the procurement of a Complete set of all-in-one computer systems for all 36 States, FCT, and Zonal Offices in 2022 was achieved.
While emphasizing its achievements, NECO said; “There was a provision of a well-equipped Statistics and Data Analysis Studio in the Department of Psychometrics in 2022, procurement of photocopying machines for all 36 States, Zonal Office, FCT, and Two NECO Office in Malabo, Republic of Guinea, and Togo to service other three (3) countries writing NECO examinations in 2022. The purchase of an e-Grenary database in 2022 to access e-resources by subject officers of NECO in all knowledge-based disciplines for easy development of examination items for NECO examinations was not left out.”
Central to this aforementioned innovation diffusion is the NECO boss, Dantani Wushishi, a Professor of Science Education. He was appointed as the Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO on 12th July 2021 by former president Muhammadu Buhari.
On assumption of office on 26th July 2021, Professor Wushishi undertook a critical assessment of the activities of NECO and initiated policies that have brought about a positive turnaround of the Council. His first action in this direction was a tour of facilities to ascertain their availability and State of functionality.
He condemned the poor state of the Council with no infrastructure in the Headquarters and the 36 States of the Federation and FCT Offices. As a result, he quickly swung into action to correct the anomaly.
The Council’s Headquarters in Minna is now well-lit.
The same facelift applies to NECO Warehouse and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department.
Professor Wushishi extended this development to Niger State NECO Office, in addition to a brand new 500 KVA transformer in both ICT Department, to address their problem of lack of electricity which has been on since 2017.
Power generators were also provided for all 36 States, FCT, and Zonal Offices including 70 units of Operational Vehicles for ease of examination logistics and the commencement building of permanent offices across the state of the federation.
With these exceptional privileges and facilities, NECO said; ” We consistently and successfully engaged in the conduct and timely release of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Junior Secondary School Examination, JSSE and Senior Secondary School Examination, SSCE Internal, and external results, inclusive of Accreditation and Re-accreditation of schools for BECE and SSCE as well as National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission of candidates into Federal Government Unity Colleges.”
Staff Welfare
In agreement with the Governing Board, Professor Wushishi got approval for a retirement benefit and Insurance package for all staff which took effect in January 2022. The benefits of both welfare packages are legion, considering the delays in accessing pension and gratuity upon retirement from service and the risks and hazards associated with NECO work.
Along with the Governing Board, under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Siddique, the Six Zonal Offices of the Council located in the North-East; North-West; North-Central; South-East; South-South; and South-West were upgraded to Directorates giving cadre growth opportunities to both management and other staffers.
To enhance organizational efficiency and delivery of mandate, the management pursued vigorously in 2022 and succeeded in the removal of NECO from among MDAs that remit 25% Automatic direct deductions to the Nigerian Government Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) which stifled the Council of the fund to carry out its mandate.
NECO said; “The opportunity transcended into ensuring prompt and full payment of Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) to officers, prompt payment of transfer allowances, welfare packages to retiring officers, enhanced honorarium to Examiners and other ad-hoc Staff engaged by the Council as well as Institution of reward system for staff who distinguish themselves in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“Due to the availability of funds, Human capital development was given priority leading to the resuscitation of Staff training and workshops in the Council. Some of these are Test Development workshops for subject officers in the Examination Development Department to help improve staff capacity and efficiency on the job description as well as boost the Item bank of each subject. A training workshop for Staff on the use of Stata Software for research data analysis was organised by the Psychometrics Department in February 2022.”
Poised to reposition the Council to be the foremost examination body in Nigeria, Professor Wushishi undertook Advocacy/Monitoring visits to states across the federation where he sought and got approval for NECO examinations to be made compulsory in all public schools.
The same stride was taken towards the exchange of knowledge and enhancing global recognition of NECO as the Registrar/CE attended and actively participated in the 2023 AEAA conference in Nairobi, Kenya, and IAEA conference in Jamaica. This is in addition to the effective participation of NECO at the 38th Conference of the Association of Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) in Zambia and the 47th International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference in Mexico in 2022.
Corporate social responsibility
Based on the insight and the need to live a peaceful and enterprising life with host communities, NECO under its Corporate Social Responsibility provided two transformers each to Gidan Mangoro and Wushishi communities in 2023. NECO-ITF Community Skills Development Programme was organised for the Gidan Mangoro community in 2023.
Similarly, a sensitisation awareness workshop on NECO activities for Stakeholders in Edo, Ekiti, and Abia States in 2023 was held.
Other key projects by the NECO boss were; the provision of motorised Boreholes at Gidan Mangoro and Gbaganako Communities in 2022 and the sponsorship of School challenge programme – a Quiz competition among Secondary Schools in Niger State on Radio.
In recognition of his outstanding efforts, Professor Wushishi was bestowed with many awards
Mercy Chukwudiebere
