The National Examinations Council has expanded its international operations with the accreditation of selected schools in Burkina Faso to serve as centres for its examinations.
The development was announced in Abuja on Sunday through a statement by the council’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani.
With this approval, NECO will begin conducting the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Burkina Faso. Sani explained that the decision followed a comprehensive assessment tour carried out by an accreditation team dispatched to evaluate designated schools in the country.
“During the visit, the team evaluated the readiness of the institutions by inspecting classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer labs, workshops, examination halls, sports facilities, and security architecture.
“They also reviewed the schools’ Continuous Assessment (CA) records, teacher adequacy, and general learning environment to determine suitability for NECO examinations.
“After what was described as a thorough and detailed evaluation, the schools were granted full accreditation to host the SSCE and BECE,” he said.
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Sani added that the expansion into Burkina Faso reflects NECO’s broader ambition to strengthen its presence across Africa and deliver quality assessment services beyond 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 worldwide to benefit from its expertise,” he said.
He highlighted that this move follows the recent establishment of an examination centre in London, joining other centres in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Amb. M.D. Galadima, welcomed the development, describing it as a major relief for Nigerian families living in the country.
“Previously, parents had to take their children to Saki, Oyo State, to register and write the examination, exposing students and parents to security risks and imposing heavy financial burdens on families and school proprietors,” he said.
He noted that the new accreditation would reduce these challenges and ease financial pressure on parents.
Galadima encouraged Nigerians in Burkina Faso to make use of the opportunity by enrolling their children for NECO examinations.
The leader of the accreditation team, Uche Ezenwanne, also noted that the initiative would enable Nigerian students resident in Burkina Faso to sit for the SSCE and BECE without travelling back to Nigeria, further solidifying NECO’s position as a leading examination body on the continent.
