The National Examinations Council (NECO) says it has extended its operations to Burkina Faso after accrediting schools in the country to host the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
NECO, addressing the press in a statement on Sunday, said its accreditation team visited the schools to determine their readiness for both examinations.
It said the schools were granted full accreditation after a comprehensive evaluation.
“The accreditation team inspected Classrooms, Laboratories, Libraries, Computer Laboratories, workshops, Examination Halls, Sport facilities, Continuous Assessment (CA) as well as adequacy of teachers and school security to determine their adequacy and suitability and readiness for NECO Examinations,” the council said.
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“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.”
NECO said its growing regional footprint positions it to become a leading African exam body offering opportunities to students across the continent and beyond.
The council said it already operates examination centres in London, Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia.
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M.D. Galadima, Nigeria’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, commended NECO for expanding its operations into the country.
Galadima, during a courtesy visit by the NECO accreditation team to the embassy in Ouagadougou, said Nigerian parents in Burkina Faso had long struggled with differences in educational systems and limited English-based schools.
He said, “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 a heavy financial burden on families and school proprietors”.
The ambassador said the accreditation will help remove these risks and cut the financial strain on families and school owners.
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He encouraged Nigerians in Burkina Faso to take advantage of NECO’s presence by registering their children for the exams.
Uche Ezenwanne, leader of the accreditation team, said the approval will allow Nigerian students in Burkina Faso to sit for SSCE and BECE without returning to Nigeria.
He said this development strengthens NECO’s position as one of Africa’s leading examination bodies.
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