The Federal Government has inaugurated 70 new operational vehicles for the National Examination Council (NECO) to enhance the conduct of the Council’s examinations. The aim is to ensure the security and timely delivery of examination materials to numerous examination centres nationwide.
Also commissioned was the multi-million naira NECO Scanning Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art Optical Mark Reader (OMR) technology—a cutting-edge software introduced by the Council to ensure efficient grading of students and candidates in its various examinations.
Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, inaugurated the projects, including NECO’s Driver’s Pool, a block of three classrooms for the Senior Secondary component of NECO Staff School, and a Data Centre on Saturday in Minna, the Niger State capital.
Mamman, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. David Andrew Adejo, applauded the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, for innovative measures introduced to ensure the credibility of the assessment process. He stated that the five distinct projects being commissioned were critical to the effective functioning and realization of the mandate of the Council.
He expressed the commitment of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to transform the education sector in the country, while also commending the giant strides of the Registrar of NECO in transforming the council within the meager resources accrued through internally generated revenue (IGR).
Mamman stated that the purchase of logistics vehicles for the ease of transportation of examination materials would substantially address the challenge of leakage of examination question papers, as witnessed in the past.
The NECO Registrar, Prof. Wushishi, expressed commitment to providing quality assessment and ensuring the integrity of the nation’s secondary school examinations. He explained that logistics vehicles were a crucial component of the examination infrastructure, serving as a dedicated fleet designed specifically for the transportation of essential examination materials, such as question papers and answer booklets.
Wushishi, who highlighted various achievements of his administration in the last two and a half years, emphasized timely release of results for all NECO examinations and a robust welfare package for staff of the Council.
According to him, the specialized vehicles were equipped with stringent security measures, making them an integral part of maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the examination process. He further explained that these vehicles, strategically deployed across the country, aimed at eliminating logistical challenges that have hindered the smooth conduct of examinations, ensuring that “our examinations are conducted without delay or disruption.”
He continued, stating, “Establishing and equipping the NECO Data Centre and Scanning Centre in the era of digitalization, data management, and security is paramount. The establishment and equipping of the NECO data centre and scanning centre represent a crucial step towards modernization and efficiency.
“This facility will house our sensitive examination data, ensuring its integrity and safeguarding it from unauthorized access. Additionally, the scanning center will expedite the processing of examination scripts, leading to faster result releases.
“These remarkable achievements are not merely the culmination of our efforts; they serve as a springboard propelling us towards even greater heights.
“We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation, constantly seeking ways to enhance our services and uphold the highest standards of integrity and excellence in our operations.
“Furthermore, in our drive to overcome our challenges of inadequate state offices, I am delighted to announce the ongoing construction of three new NECO state offices in Gombe, Katsina, and Kogi states.
“Currently, at 70% completion, these offices are being constructed using NECO’s internally generated revenue (IGR), representing a significant step forward in our efforts to modernize our infrastructure and enhance service delivery.
“The new office projects also testify to NECO’s financial prudence and our commitment to efficient resource management. We will soon invite the Honourable Minister to commission the new offices,” he stated.
The NECO boss lamented that the Council had not received any appropriation for more than 15 years for capital projects. However, he disclosed that the National Assembly has now appropriated NECO to construct seven additional state offices in Nasarawa, Rivers, Lagos, Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, and Abia states.
Meanwhile, more than 70 staffers of the Council received various categories of awards during the 2023 annual productivity award ceremony as part of the Council’s reward system.
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