NECO Lament: Withholding Exam Results Over Unpaid N5.5bn State Debt
NECO, the National Examination Council, has announced a lamentable debt of N5.5bn owed by 34 state governments for the cost of its various examinations. Furthermore, the Council has withheld the release of examination results until the debts are settled. This decision has seen secondary school students denied their much-awaited results, resulting in unnecessary anxiety and hardship.
The Registrar and Chief Executive of the National Examination Council (NECO), Prof. Dantani Wushishi, has revealed that some states in Nigeria owe the exam body a total of N5.5 billion ($13.4 million).
Wushishi made this announcement during the release of the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results. He stated that 61% of the candidates achieved five credits, including English and Mathematics.
The debts were accumulated between 2012 and 2023, as the states were responsible for the registration fees of their indigent students for the examination. Wushishi called on the states to settle the debts promptly, warning that the council will withhold the results of affected candidates until the debts are paid off.
The Registrar emphasized that the poor performance of some states should prompt them to review their education sector thoroughly. He also highlighted the top-performing states, with Abia State leading the chart, followed by Adamawa and Akwa Ibom.
A total of 1,296,985 candidates sat for the 2023 SSCE, with 616,398 being male and 580,587 being female.
