Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has bagged the National Examinations Council (NECO) Award of Excellence following Edo State’s emergence as the state with the third highest percentage of candidates who obtained five credits and above in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal examinations since the council’s inception.
NECO, Nigeria’s national examination body was set up in April 1999. Currently headed by Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, it is responsible for conducting the annual SSCE.
While announcing the annual award the Council said it recognises state governments and institutions that have demonstrated consistent excellence in students’ academic performance and participation in its examinations.
The examination body noted that the category of award highlights measurable, data-driven achievements, including high pass rates, expanded access to examinations, and sustained investment in the education sector.
Accordingly it said the recognition also underscores the importance of sub-national governments in improving educational standards and outcomes across the country.
“It also reflects the critical role of sub-national governments and institutions in driving educational outcomes and improving standards. By rewarding excellence at the state level, the award encourages healthy competition and stronger commitment to quality education,” the council stated.
NECO added that the award aligns with its broader mission of promoting quality education and ensuring that assessment outcomes contribute meaningfully to national development.
The council further described the honour as both a recognition of achievement and a challenge to other states and institutions to improve standards within Nigeria’s education system.
The award is the second major recognition received by the Okpebholo administration in the education sector in less than two years in office.
In February, Governor Okpebholo won the New Telegraph Newspapers Governor of the Year Award in Education for what the organisers described as landmark reforms recorded within his first year in office.
The reforms cited included the construction of more than 100 schools across the state, the recruitment of 6,000 teachers, and the increase in monthly funding for state-owned universities from ₦41 million to ₦500 million.
Education stakeholders in Edo State have described the latest NECO recognition as an indication of the growing investment in the sector and its impact on learning outcomes in public schools.
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