REVEALED: 2023 NECO exams best in recent times – Registrar

The Registrar of the National Examination Council, NECO, Professor Dantani Wushishi has expressed satisfaction with the general conduct of the stakeholders in the ongoing 2023 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination conducted by the body across the country and stressed it is one of the best in recent times.

The Registrar who spoke in Jos, Plateau State on Friday while monitoring the exercise in some schools in the State disclosed that over one million candidates registered for the examination which is currently ongoing.

He said he has moved around with his team to about seven states, including Plateau, met with various stakeholders, including traditional rulers, and others who indicated that the examination is going on as planned without any hitch but stated there is a slight drop in the enrolment of students for the examination this year compared to 2022, as he attributes the development to reasons like early deadline, and the economic hardship in the country.

Wushishi who assured of continued quality service delivery however appealed to States who are indebted to examination body to intensify efforts at offsetting the debts to ensure a smooth operation and effective service.

His words, “The 2023 examination which would be concluded next week is the best organized in recent years, various measures have been put in place to check examination malpractice, the measures have started yielding positive results. We have good and fair assessments from the stakeholders. At our end, the delivery of materials has been fantastic. This year’s examination has been very successful.

“We didn’t have problems conducting examinations where there are security challenges. Even in Zamfara and other troubled states, our examination went on without any hitch, and where there was a threat, we transferred students to safe areas. Despite sit at home in the South-East, we conducted our examination without any hitch…

“It is true some states are indebted to NECO, but to be fair to some of these states, they are responding positively. It is at the end of this exercise that we will be able to assert the level of indebtedness. But as far as last year is concerned, we had close to N3 billion. But in some states, as they are registering students, they are still remitting their previous debts.

“A lot of factors could be responsible for the drop, one of which is that states have their way of recruiting those they want to sponsor based on the considerations of each state. I also think that the economic situation in the country could also be a factor. This year, we were very strict in maintaining our date of closure for registration. Those schools that forwarded their candidates after the closure were not entertained, so this as well could have been responsible for the drop in registration.”

The Registrar however monitored the examination at Airforce Military School; King and Queens Academy, Shaka and Emmanuel International College, Rayfield all in Jos South local government area of the State.