NECO Rewards Top Students, Staff and Retirees for Excellence and Productivity

NECO has rewarded outstanding staff, retirees and top-performing students as part of efforts to promote productivity, professionalism and excellence in the conduct of examinations.

The awards were presented on Wednesday at the Council’s 2025 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony held at its headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, announced Akai Bernice Kuyet and Eke Felix Emenike, both from School Sense, Barnawa, Kaduna State, as overall winners in the female and male categories, respectively, under the Senior School Certificate Examination category.

He attributed the Council’s ability to sustain uninterrupted examinations despite security challenges across the country to the resilience, dedication and commitment of its workforce.

Wushishi described NECO personnel as the “army of NECO”, saying they had remained constantly alert and committed to their responsibilities despite challenges posed by Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and sit-at-home orders.

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.”

According to him, the Council continued to distribute examination logistics as planned, whether during the day or at night, describing such resilience as comparable to the responsibilities of the armed forces.

“So, the army of NECO, I salute you,” he said.

The Registrar said the annual productivity awards were not merely for celebrating individual achievements but were designed to boost staff morale, motivate personnel, improve service delivery and promote a culture of continuous improvement within the Council.

He said the 2025 awards recognised exceptional contributions by staff and other stakeholders across the Registrar’s Office, departments, zonal directorates, 36 state offices, the Liaison and LCT offices, as well as outstanding state coordinators and drivers.

Wushishi said the Council also recognised its retirees with certificates of service in appreciation of their years of commitment and dedication.

He said productivity went beyond merely completing assigned tasks, stressing that it involved delivering quality outcomes with integrity, timeliness and measurable impact.

He urged the award recipients to serve as role models to other employees and called on all NECO personnel to embrace perseverance, teamwork, unity, self-improvement and excellence in the discharge of their duties.

Wushishi also acknowledged the contributions of stakeholders to the Council’s operations, noting that their collaboration had helped NECO sustain the smooth conduct of examinations across Nigeria and foreign countries.

He said NECO remained committed to strengthening its processes, accountability and operational capacity to ensure that its examinations remained credible and trusted.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, said the ceremony was more than the presentation of certificates and awards, describing it as a recognition of the people whose dedication and professionalism had sustained the Council’s mandate.

Garba said the annual productivity awards were intended to motivate personnel, boost morale, encourage healthy competition and promote continuous improvement in the Council.

He stressed that the credibility of examinations depended not only on policies but also on the commitment, competence and integrity of those responsible for implementing them.

According to him, the conduct of examinations must be anchored on integrity, prudence, fairness, transparency and efficiency, given the impact of examination outcomes on the future opportunities of students.

Garba commended NECO staff for their resilience, particularly in ensuring that examinations continued despite security and operational challenges.

He urged the award recipients to see the recognition as a motivation to achieve greater results and encouraged every member of staff, irrespective of their role, to contribute to the success of the Council.

On the awards, NECO named its Cross River State Coordinator, Miss Ruth Nnamani, as the Best State Coordinator for 2025.

The award 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 Council also presented certificates of service to 55 staff retirees for 2025 in recognition of their years of service, loyalty and dedication.

Among the retirees recognised were the former Director of Registration, Mrs Hajara Ali; Director, South South Zone, Mr Irem Obiahu; Director, Test Development, Mr Michael Okei; and Acting Director, South East Zone, Mr Samuel Adiniyi.

Awards were also presented to the six zonal directors, the FCT Liaison Office and coordinators of NECO’s 36 state offices and Abuja.

In the Senior School Certificate Examination category, Akai Bernice Kuyet and Eke Felix Emenike, both of School Sense, Barnawa, Kaduna State, emerged as winners in the female and male categories, respectively.

For the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Michael Daniela Chiamaka of Christland High School, Ikeja, Lagos, won the female category, while Salihu Amir Umar of Kadwel International Schools, Kaduna, won the male category.

In the National Gifted Examination (NGE), Ezeundu Samuel Akachukwu of God’s Wisdom International School, Anambra State, won the male category, while Ubochi Akunnaya of Diamond Special Schools, Owerri, emerged as the winner in the female category.

For 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, emerged as the winner in the female category.

The NECO Staff Productivity Awards is an annual programme established to recognise exceptional contributions by staff and stakeholders and to promote morale, motivation and productivity.

The programme covers various areas of performance and is designed to encourage healthy competition and continuous improvement while strengthening a culture of excellence within NECO and the wider education sector.