The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced strict punitive measures against individuals and institutions involved in examination malpractice, following the release of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) internal results.
In a press briefing held at NECO’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, the Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, revealed the council’s efforts to maintain the integrity of its examinations.
In a major move to combat cheating, NECO has blacklisted 21 supervisors across 12 states for their roles in aiding malpractice. The offenses ranged from poor supervision and aiding cheating to absconding from duty, extortion, drunkenness, and negligence.
In addition to the action against the supervisors, NECO de-recognized one school in Ekiti State after uncovering widespread cheating in two core subjects and one science subject during the SSCE exams. This is part of the council’s broader effort to stamp out malpractice, which continues to be a challenge in the Nigerian education system.
Professor Wushishi also disclosed that 40 schools in 17 states were found to have engaged in mass cheating, with all the institutions set to face further sanctions after discussions with the council.
“Forty schools were found to have been involved in whole-school mass cheating. They will be invited for discussion, and appropriate sanctions will be applied after due investigation,” Wushishi stated.
The council’s decisive actions are aimed at sending a strong message about its commitment to upholding the standards of education in Nigeria.
NECO has made it clear that such practices will not be tolerated, as it continues to strengthen its supervision processes to ensure fairness and credibility in future exams.