NECO rewards staff, retirees, star students at 2024 productivity awards
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has honoured its best-performing staff, retirees, and outstanding students at the 2024 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony held in Minna, Niger State.
Speaking at the event, NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said the ceremony was designed to celebrate excellence, discipline, and integrity across Nigeria’s education system.
“This is a day of celebration, reflection, and renewed commitment. Excellence is the heartbeat of NECO because what we do forms the bedrock of individual development and national progress. By rewarding diligence and achievement, we reaffirm our mission to deliver credible, timely, and fair assessments that protect Nigeria’s future,” Wushishi declared.
The registrar explained that the awards covered several categories, including the Outstanding Public Service Award for exemplary staff, the Lifetime Achievement Award for retirees, the Excellence in Integrity and Ethics Award, and the Student Excellence Award for top candidates in NECO examinations.
A total of 45 retired staff received Certificates of Service for their loyalty and years of dedication, while 61 staff were honoured as the most hardworking and committed of 2024. Another 15 individuals were recognised under the special awards category.
Students who distinguished themselves in NECO examinations were also honoured. Master Nwachukwu Victor Ikechukwu of St. Paul’s Academy, Jos, and Miss Adeyemo Emmanuella Adedamola of Our God Reigns Crystal School, Oju-Ore, emerged best-performing candidates in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). For the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), awards went to Master Charles Brian Uzoma and Miss Awanbor Omoriyekemwen Claire of Igbinedion Education Centre, Benin City. In the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), Master Balogun Farian Ajibola and Miss Iyasei Ifeanyichukwu Victory were honoured.
Wushishi commended NECO’s workforce, past and present, as “unsung heroes” whose sacrifices uphold the Council’s credibility. He further encouraged the award-winning students to sustain their pursuit of knowledge, while reminding others that “a single ceremony does not define your potential.”
Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Yakubu Mohammed Kolo, former Niger State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, praised NECO for institutionalising the awards, describing them as a motivation for staff and students to pursue excellence.
“Excellence is not an accident but a choice and a discipline. Recognition like this motivates individuals to go beyond the ordinary and strengthens the integrity of our educational system,” Kolo said, urging students to see the honour as the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of impact and knowledge.