By Janet Salihu
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has credited the resilience and dedication of its workforce for sustaining the conduct of national examinations despite security challenges, including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and sit-at-home orders.
NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, stated this on Wednesday in Minna, Niger State, at the Council’s 2025 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony.
Wushishi described NECO workers as the “army of NECO”, noting that their readiness to work under difficult conditions had enabled the Council to maintain the distribution of examination materials and conduct examinations across Nigeria and abroad.
He said, “During the heydays of Boko Haram, the activities of Boko Haram have never stopped NECO’s examination. Banditry has never stopped NECO examination. Kidnapping has never stopped NECO examination. Sit-at-home order has never stopped NECO examination.”
The Registrar said the annual productivity awards were designed not only to recognise outstanding performance but also to motivate staff, strengthen service delivery and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
He said the 2025 awards recognised outstanding staff across the Council’s departments, zonal directorates, state offices and other units, alongside retirees, state coordinators, drivers and exceptional students.
Among those honoured was NECO Cross River State Coordinator, Miss Ruth Nnamani, who received the award for Best State Coordinator of the Year, while Mrs Tabitha Kopdungha of Plateau State, Mr Garba Sandy of Niger State and Mr Rabiu Yakubu of Kaduna State received awards for excellence in performance.
The Council also honoured 55 retirees with Certificates of Service in recognition of their years of dedication, including former Director of Registration, Mrs Hajara Ali; former Director, South South Zone, Mr Irem Obiahu; former Director of Test Development, Mr Michael Okei; and Acting Director, South East Zone, Mr Samuel Adiniyi.
Outstanding students from the Senior School Certificate Examination, Basic Education Certificate Examination, National Gifted Examination and National Common Entrance Examination were also recognised for their academic performance.
The students included Akai Bernice Kuyet and Eke Felix Emenike of School Sense Barnawa, Kaduna State, who emerged best female and male students in the Senior School Certificate Examination category.
Also recognised were students from Lagos, Kaduna, Anambra, Imo and other states who distinguished themselves in the various NECO examinations.
Wushishi urged the award recipients to see the recognition as a call to greater responsibility, stressing that productivity goes beyond completing assigned duties to delivering quality results with integrity, timeliness and measurable impact.
He also acknowledged the contributions of stakeholders to the Council’s operations, saying their collaboration had helped sustain the credibility and smooth conduct of examinations.
