The National Examinations Council, NECO, has honoured outstanding staff, retirees and high-performing students at its 2025 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony, celebrating the workforce credited with keeping examinations running despite insecurity and other operational pressures across the country.
The awards were presented on Wednesday at NECO’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, where the council’s Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, praised employees for sustaining examination activities amid Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and sit-at-home orders.
Wushishi described the council’s personnel as the “army of NECO”, citing their role in moving examination materials and maintaining operations in difficult locations.
“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,” he said.
The registrar said examination logistics continued to reach their destinations despite the security situation, with some operations taking place during the day and at night.
“So, the army of NECO, I salute you,” he said.
Wushishi explained that the annual awards were established to recognise exceptional performance, lift staff morale and encourage better service delivery across the examination body.
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The 2025 edition covered personnel from the Registrar’s Office, departments, zonal directorates, the 36 state offices, the Liaison and LCT offices, as well as state coordinators and drivers.
Fifty-five retirees also received certificates of service in recognition of their years of work with the council.
Among those honoured were former Director of Registration, Mrs Hajara Ali; former Director, South South Zone, Mr Irem Obiahu; former Director of Test Development, Mr Michael Okei; and former Acting Director, South East Zone, Mr Samuel Adiniyi.
NECO also recognised its Cross River State Coordinator, Miss Ruth Nnamani, as the Best State Coordinator for 2025.
Awards for excellent performance went to Mrs Tabitha Kopdungha of Plateau State, Mr Garba Sandy of Niger State and Mr Rabiu Yakubu of Kaduna State.
The ceremony also placed students who excelled in various NECO examinations in the spotlight.
In the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) category, Akai Bernice Kuyet and Eke Felix Emenike, both from School Sense, Barnawa, Kaduna State, emerged as the female and male winners respectively.
The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) category produced Michael Daniela Chiamaka of Christland High School, Ikeja, Lagos, as the female winner, while Salihu Amir Umar of Kadwel International Schools, Kaduna, took the male prize.
Ezeundu Samuel Akachukwu of God’s Wisdom International School, Anambra State, won the male category of the National Gifted Examination, while Ubochi Akunnaya of Diamond Special Schools, Owerri, secured the female award.
In the National Common Entrance Examination, Alocha Naeto Daniel of Remmon Home Academy won the male category, while Adenuga Monsurat Feyisara of Ar-Rahman Montessori School, Ojota, Lagos, emerged as the female winner.
The council also presented awards to its six zonal directors, the Federal Capital Territory Liaison Office and coordinators of its state offices.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Rt Hon Abdullahi Idris Garba, said the occasion represented more than the distribution of certificates.
Garba said the recognition highlighted the contribution of the people responsible for implementing NECO’s mandate and preserving confidence in the examination system.
He said examination credibility depended not only on policies and procedures but also on the competence, integrity and commitment of the personnel who administer them.
According to him, examination administration must be guided by “integrity, prudence, fairness, transparency and efficiency” because examination results can influence students’ access to further education and future opportunities.
Garba also acknowledged the difficulties encountered by NECO personnel while conducting examinations in areas affected by security challenges.
Wushishi said productivity should not be measured simply by the completion of assigned duties. He linked meaningful performance to quality results, integrity, timeliness and measurable impact.
He called on award recipients to set an example for their colleagues and encouraged NECO personnel to cultivate perseverance, teamwork, unity and continuous self-improvement.
The registrar also acknowledged schools, government agencies and other stakeholders whose cooperation has supported NECO’s examination activities within Nigeria and at international centres.
He said the council was working to strengthen its processes, accountability and operational capacity in order to preserve the credibility of its examinations.
The annual productivity awards therefore served two purposes at the Minna ceremony: they celebrated individual achievement while drawing attention to the personnel and systems that keep one of Nigeria’s major examination bodies functioning under difficult conditions.
For the students, the recognition offered a separate measure of achievement, placing academic performance alongside the institutional effort required to administer the examinations in which they competed.
