The National Examinations Council has expanded its reach into Francophone West Africa, granting accreditation to selected schools in Burkina Faso to serve as centres for its examinations.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Azeez Sani.
With this approval, NECO is set to begin conducting both the Senior School Certificate Examination and the Basic Education Certificate Examination in Burkina Faso.
The council arrived at the decision after an accreditation team carried out a detailed assessment of designated schools in the country.
According to Sani, the delegation undertook an extensive inspection of infrastructure and learning conditions across the institutions.
“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 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.
He added that this international expansion reflects NECO’s growing commitment to delivering credible educational assessment beyond Nigeria.
Sani further highlighted that the council’s global footprint continues to widen, noting: “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 also recalled NECO’s recent establishment of an examination centre in London, which complements existing overseas locations in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Amb. M.D. Galadima, hailed the development, describing it as a major relief for Nigerian families living in the country.
Galadima noted that parents had endured difficulties due to disparities in educational systems and the scarcity of English-language institutions.
“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 expressed confidence that the new accreditation would ease these challenges and significantly cut costs for families.
The ambassador also encouraged Nigerians in Burkina Faso to take advantage of the opportunity by enrolling their children for NECO examinations.
Leader of the NECO accreditation team, Dr. Uche Ezenwanne, emphasised that the initiative will allow Nigerian students in Burkina Faso to sit for SSCE and BECE without the stress of travelling home.
This, he said, further strengthens NECO’s standing as a premier examination body on the continent.
