The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, has expressed the need for urgent review and modernisation of the legislative framework guiding examinations in Nigeria, especially NECO to effectively address some of their challenges to enable them to effectively achieve mandates.
The Minister made the call in Abuja, Nigeria at a one-day retreat by NECO titled “Legislative Functions: The Imperatives of Achieving NECO’s Mandate and the Challenges of Examination Legislation in Nigeria”
He said NECO plays an indispensable role in ensuring the sustainable management of the nation’s educational landscape but expressed concern over absolute examination laws.
He said the new legislation would take care of new trends such as the use of modern technology in the process of examination.
“Despite the significance of the examination legislation, we cannot ignore the challenges we face, from outdated laws and validation to emerging issues like examination malpractice and digital transformation.
“There’s an urgent need to review and modernize the legislative framework to effectively address these challenges,” he said.
The Minister was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary Mrs Esther Didi Walton-Jack
Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger State emphasized the need to look into the existing laws that guide NECO in the conduct of its various examinations to address issues of artificial intelligence.
“Artificial intelligence has come to stay so our law must also be able to key into these technological advancements. So this retreat is timely.
“I only call on NECO and stakeholders to expand it beyond this hall so that other stakeholders will have input and also be able to come out with a robust policy and laws to be sent to the national assembly,” Bago said.
On his part, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi said the challenges in fulfilling NECO’s mandate highlighted the critical need for a robust legislative framework.
Wushishi identified infrastructural constraints, the surge in candidate enrollment, inadequate funding, and examination malpractice, amongst others as some of the key hurdles faced by the examination body.
This is just as he stressed the need for a review of the existing laws of the Council.
The Stakeholders believe the review in the education sector, would instigate reforms that reflect the technological advancements and evolving needs of the educational landscape.
Dominica Nwabufo
