By Felix Khanoba
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has issued a stern warning to school owners and relevant stakeholders regarding the registration of candidates for its examinations through proxy methods.
The Council has highlighted that this fraudulent practice can lead to identity theft and the subsequent issuance of counterfeit results.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by Azeez Sani, Acting Director of Information and Public Relations at NECO, the examination body reiterated its commitment to eliminating all forms of examination malpractice. To combat impersonation during its assessments, NECO has implemented several measures.
“Some of the measures include the use of Biometric Data Capturing Device, use of customized answer booklets and embossing of Photograph and Date of Birth of candidates on the Original Certificates.”
Additionally, last year saw the launch of the NECO e-Verify, an online platform designed for the confirmation and verification of NECO results.
“Members of the public are enjoined to note that any Certificate purported to have been issued by the Council, and which cannot be Verified or Authenticated using the NECO e-Verify platform, is Fake,” the statement emphasized.
NECO urged State Ministries of Education and school proprietors to ensure that only the personal details of legitimate candidates are used during the registration process for all examinations conducted by NECO.
In a related development, candidates found guilty of impersonation in the recently released 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal have had their results withheld. This action is part of NECO’s comprehensive strategy to address all forms of examination malpractice.
