Federal Government Commissions New Operational Vehicles and Scanning Centre for NECO
The NECO Registrar expressed commitment to providing quality assessment and ensuring the integrity of the nation’s secondary school examinations.
Chukwuebuka Aniakor 
The Federal Government has commissioned 70 new operational vehicles for the National Examinations Council (NECO) to ensure seamless conduct of its examinations. The multi-million naira NECO Scanning Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art Optical Mark Reader (OMR) technology, was also commissioned. This cutting-edge software was introduced by the Council to ensure efficient grading of students and candidates in its various examinations.
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The projects, inaugurated in Minna, also include a Driver’s Pool, a block of three classrooms for the Senior Secondary component of the NECO Staff School, and a Data Centre. Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr David Andrew Adejo, applauded the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, for bringing about robust development in the exam body.
The minister stated that the five distinct projects commissioned were critical to the effective functioning and realization of the mandate of the Council. He expressed the commitment of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu to transform the education sector in the country.
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Mamman said the purchase of the logistics vehicles for ease of transportation of examination materials would substantially address the challenge of leakage of examination question papers as witnessed in the past.
The NECO Registrar expressed commitment to providing quality assessment and ensuring the integrity of the nation’s secondary school examinations. He explained that logistics vehicles were a crucial component of the examination infrastructure, serving as a dedicated fleet of vehicles designed specifically for the transportation of essential examination materials, such as question papers and answer booklets.
Wushishi highlighted various achievements of his administration in the last two and a half years, including the timely release of results of all NECO examinations and a robust welfare package for staff of the Council. He stated that the specialized vehicles were equipped with stringent security measures, making them an integral part of maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the examination process.
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The primary function of these vehicles is to ensure the security and timely delivery of examination materials to numerous examination centres, whether they are located in urban areas or remote regions. This includes not only the distribution of papers but also the collection of completed answer booklets for subsequent processing.
Wushishi said, “Establishing and equipping the NECO Data Centre and Scanning Centre in the era of digitalization, data management, and security is paramount. The establishment and equipping of the NECO data centre and scanning centre represent a crucial step towards modernization and efficiency."
He added that the facility would house sensitive examination data, ensuring its integrity and safeguarding it from unauthorized access. Additionally, the scanning center will expedite the processing of examination scripts, leading to faster result releases.
Wushishi also announced the ongoing construction of three new NECO state offices in Gombe, Katsina, and Kogi states. Currently, at 70% completion, these offices are being constructed using NECO’s internally generated revenue (IGR), representing a significant step forward in efforts to modernize infrastructure and enhance service delivery.
