No fewer than 1.3 candidates are currently writing the National Examination Council, NECO, in 18,000 centres across the country, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Examination Body, Professor Ibrahim Wushishi has disclosed.

The examination Council which is an alternate body for senior secondary school students seeking mandatory qualification into universities has since 1999 been providing platform for senior secondary school leavers to make up for their west African school School certificate examination.

The Registrar and CEO of the Council, Prof. Wushishi spoke in Yola, Thursday when he visited some schools to monitor the ongoing Neco examination in Adamawa state.

While expressing satisfaction with the conduct of the students and the supervisors of the exams in the schools visited, Prof. Wushishi said “for this August Examination, the Council registered about 1.3 million candidates”.

He commended the Adamawa state government for paying the examination fees for the students noting that Adamawa state is among states that have a high number of students writing the examination.

Stressing that ” the enrollment we have always increased over the years and shows the confidence the schools have in us”

” We at the Council are doing everything possible to make our standards meet global best practices”

“Our certificate has security features that can not be forged, we have put in place measures that can check impersonation and other examination malpractices”

“Our mandate is to give young Nigerians the platform to improve their chances of getting admitted into higher institutions.’ he declared

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At one of the Federal Unity School visited, Federal Government Girl College, Yola, the Principal of the school, Mrs. Christy Wakawa told the Registrar and his team that the examination is going on as scheduled and so far they have no problem of any kind.

” We do all the necessary before our students go into the hall, the question papers and answer sheet come on time”.

Also at the Aliyu Musdafa College that had over 700 students writing NECO examination, Professor Wushishi commended the orderly Ness of the students when he and his team visited during an examination period.