By Felix Khanoba
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has broadened its international reach with the accreditation of schools in Burkina Faso to participate in both the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Council’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani.
According to Sani, a NECO accreditation team visited several schools in Burkina Faso to evaluate their preparedness for the examinations. The team assessed facilities including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer labs, workshops, examination halls, sports facilities, continuous assessment practices, teacher adequacy, and overall security to determine compliance with NECO standards.
“After a thorough evaluation and comprehensive assessment, the schools were granted full SSCE and BECE accreditation status.
“The accreditation of the schools in Burkina Faso is a testament to NECO’s commitment to providing quality education and assessment beyond the shores of Nigeria.
“With its expanding global presence, NECO is poised to become a leading examination body in Africa, offering opportunities for Nigerian students and other foreign nationals World-wide to benefit from its expertise, thus contributing to the advancement of education in Africa and beyond,” he said.
NECO’s expansion into Burkina Faso follows its recent establishment of an examination centre in London, adding to existing centres in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Ambassador M.D. Galadima, has lauded the Council for bringing its services closer to Nigerian families in the country. During a courtesy call by the accreditation team to the Nigerian Embassy in Ouagadougou, Galadima noted that many parents had long struggled with the differences in educational systems and the lack of English-medium schools.
He explained that, “Previously, parents had to take their children to Saki, Oyo State to register and write the examination, exposing students and parents to security risks during travel and placing heavy financial burden on families and school proprietors”.
Galadima stressed that the accreditation of schools in Burkina Faso would reduce travel-related risks and ease financial strain on families and school owners. He urged Nigerians in the country to take advantage of the new opportunity and register their children for NECO examinations.
Earlier, leader of the NECO Accreditation Team, Dr. Uche Ezenwanne, also reaffirmed that the exercise would allow Nigerian students resident in Burkina Faso to sit for the SSCE and BECE locally, strengthening NECO’s profile as one of Africa’s leading examination bodies.
