NECO Honours Staff, Retirees, Top Students

The National Examinations Council (NECO) on Thursday rolled out honours for its outstanding staff, retirees and best-performing students during its 2024 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony in Minna, Niger State.

Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said the ceremony was designed to reward excellence and strengthen the values of discipline, ethics and commitment in the education sector.

“This is a day of celebration and renewed commitment. Excellence is the heartbeat of NECO because our work forms the foundation of individual growth and national progress. By rewarding diligence and achievement, we reaffirm our mission to deliver credible and fair assessments,” he said.

The awards covered several categories, including the Outstanding Public Service Award, Lifetime Achievement Award for retirees, Excellence in Integrity and Ethics Award, and Student Excellence Award.

A total of 45 retirees received Certificates of Service for their years of loyalty and dedication, while 61 staff were decorated as most hardworking and dedicated officers of 2024. Fifteen others picked up special awards.

For the student category, Master Nwachukwu Victor Ikechukwu of St. Paul’s Academy, Jos, and Miss Adeyemo Emmanuella Adedamola of Our God Reigns Crystal School, Oju-Ore, emerged the best-performing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) candidates of 2024.

Also recognised were Master Charles Brian Uzoma and Miss Awanbor Omoriyekemwen Claire of Igbinedion Education Centre, Benin City, for their top performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

In the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), honours went to Master Balogun Farian Ajibola and Miss Iyasei Ifeanyichukwu Victory.

Commending both staff and students, Wushishi described NECO’s workforce as the “unsung heroes” who sustain the Council’s credibility. He urged the award-winning students to see the recognition as a call to greater pursuit of knowledge.

Chairman of the occasion and former Niger State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Yakubu Mohammed Kolo, praised NECO for institutionalising the awards, saying it reinforces the dignity of hard work.

“Whether staff, retirees or students, today’s honourees show that excellence is not an accident but a discipline. This culture of recognition must continue because it inspires individuals to aim higher and strengthens our educational system,” he said.

Kolo further urged the students to view the recognition as “the beginning of a lifelong journey of impact and knowledge.”