The National Examinations Council (NECO) has expanded its international footprint to Burkina Faso after successfully accrediting schools to conduct the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
A NECO accreditation team visited the schools to assess their readiness for the examinations and during the visit, the team inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer labs, workshops, examination halls, sports facilities, and continuous assessment records.
They also evaluated teacher adequacy and overall school security to determine each institution’s suitability for NECO examinations.
Following a comprehensive assessment, the schools were granted full accreditation for both SSCE and BECE.
NECO described the development as a demonstration of its commitment to delivering quality education and standardized assessment beyond Nigeria’s borders.
The council recently opened an examination centre in London, United Kingdom, adding to existing international centres in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia.
In a related development, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, M.D. Galadima, commended NECO for extending its services to the country. During a courtesy visit by the accreditation team to the Nigerian Embassy in Ouagadougou, the ambassador noted that Nigerian parents in Burkina Faso had long faced challenges due to differences in the local education system and the scarcity of English-based schools.
He explained that many families previously had to travel to Saki, Oyo State, for NECO registration and examinations—an arrangement that exposed them to security risks and imposed significant financial burdens.
Ambassador Galadima said the accreditation of schools in Burkina Faso would ease these difficulties and urged the Nigerian community in the country to take advantage of the new opportunity by enrolling their children for the SSCE and BECE.
