The National Examinations Council (NECO) has accredited schools in Burkina Faso to host its examinations, marking a significant expansion of the body’s international operations.
The move allows the council to conduct both the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the West African country.
This development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr Azeez Sani. According to him, the decision followed a comprehensive assessment of selected schools by the NECO accreditation team.
“During the visit, the team evaluated the readiness of the institutions by inspecting classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer labs, workshops, examination halls, sports facilities, and security architecture. They also reviewed the schools’ Continuous Assessment (CA) records, teacher adequacy, and general learning environment to determine suitability for NECO examinations,” Sani said.
He added that after what was described as a thorough evaluation, the schools were granted full accreditation to host both SSCE and BECE.
“This expansion underscores NECO’s commitment to delivering quality education and assessment services beyond Nigeria’s borders,” Sani added.
The council’s move into Burkina Faso is part of a broader strategy to increase its international presence. NECO has previously established examination centres in London, United Kingdom, alongside centres in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia.
The expansion, Sani noted, aims to provide opportunities for Nigerian students and other foreign nationals worldwide to benefit from NECO’s expertise.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Amb. M.D. Galadima, commended NECO for the decision, describing it as a relief for Nigerian families in the country.
Galadima highlighted that parents had long struggled with challenges arising from differences in educational systems and the lack of English-language schools.
“Previously, parents had to take their children to Saki, Oyo State, to register and write the examination, exposing students and parents to security risks and imposing heavy financial burdens on families and school proprietors,” Galadima said.
He added that the accreditation would eliminate these risks and significantly reduce financial strain on parents. The ambassador also urged Nigerians living in Burkina Faso to take advantage of the opportunity by registering their children for NECO examinations.
Dr Uche Ezenwanne, leader of the accreditation team, emphasised that the move would enable Nigerian students in Burkina Faso to write SSCE and BECE without travelling back to Nigeria.
Ezenwanne described the development as an important step toward reinforcing NECO’s position as Africa’s foremost examination body.
The expansion is also likely to encourage higher educational standards in host institutions. By meeting NECO’s stringent accreditation criteria, schools are expected to improve infrastructure, teaching quality, and overall learning environments.
The move comes amid NECO’s continued push for modernisation, including the adoption of computer-based examinations (CBE), which the council has described as central to its long-term strategy of becoming a world-class assessment body.
With its expanding network of international examination centres, NECO is positioning itself as a leading education assessment authority not just in Nigeria, but across Africa and beyond.
