The National Examinations Council (NECO) has approved some schools in Burkina Faso to conduct its exams. This means NECO is now operating in more countries.
The announcement was made in a statement by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, on Sunday in Abuja.
With this approval, NECO will now conduct the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Burkina Faso.
According to the statement, a team from NECO visited some selected schools in Burkina Faso to assess them before approval. During the visit, they checked classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer rooms, workshops, exam halls, sports facilities, and security. They also reviewed teachers’ qualifications, student records, and the general learning environment.
After the inspection, the schools were granted full accreditation to conduct NECO examinations.
The statement explained that this expansion shows NECO’s commitment to providing quality education and exam services outside Nigeria.
It added that NECO is growing internationally and may soon become one of Africa’s leading examination bodies, helping both Nigerian and foreign students benefit from its services.
NECO also noted that an exam center was recently opened in London, adding to other centers already in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Amb. M.D. Galadima, praised NECO for the development. He said it would help Nigerian families living in Burkina Faso who have struggled with different education systems and lack of English-language schools.
Before now, many parents had to travel with their children to Saki in Oyo State, Nigeria, just to take NECO exams. This caused security risks and high costs for families and school owners.
He said the new accreditation will remove those challenges and make things easier for parents.
The ambassador encouraged Nigerians living in Burkina Faso to register their children for the NECO exams.
The head of the NECO accreditation team, Dr. Uche Ezenwanne, said the new development will allow Nigerian students in Burkina Faso to take NECO exams without traveling to Nigeria. He added that the move strengthens NECO’s position as a leading exam body in Africa.
