The National Examinations Council (NECO) has broadened its international footprint by accrediting schools in Burkina Faso to host its examinations. This accreditation allows the council to conduct both the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the West African nation.
According to NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Azeez Sani, the accreditation followed a comprehensive assessment visit to selected schools in Burkina Faso. The evaluation team inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries and examination halls, and reviewed each school’s continuous‑assessment records, teacher adequacy and overall learning environment.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Amb. M.D. Galadima, praised the expansion, noting that it will ease the difficulties faced by Nigerian families in the country. Previously, parents had to travel to Nigeria to register their children for examinations, exposing them to security risks and financial burdens. The new accreditation is expected to eliminate these risks and reduce the financial strain on families.
The leader of the accreditation team, Dr. Uche Ezenwanne, emphasized that Nigerian students living in Burkina Faso will now be able to sit for the SSCE and BECE without returning to Nigeria. This development reinforces NECO’s standing as a prominent examination body in Africa and expands opportunities for students in the region to access quality education and assessment services.
NECO has already established examination centres in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Saudi Arabia. As the council continues to grow its presence across Africa and beyond, it is poised to play an increasingly influential role in shaping the region’s education sector and to become a leading examination body on the continent.
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