NECO unveils e-platform to verify, confirm results globally

By Uji A. Iliyasu

Abuja

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has launched its  result verification and confirmation portal tagged, “e-Verify”, Thursday in  Abuja.

The portal can be reached via  www.e-verify.neco.gov.ng.

NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, at the unveiling of the platform said the platform is designed to perform dual function of instant result verification and institutional  bulk verification and confirmation of all results obtained from NECO. He said this process will halt fake result racketeering in the polity and placement of unqualified persons in job positions by organisations and institutions.

“Due to the growing need for verification and confirmation of results by institutions both at home and abroad, the Council decided that now was the best time to introduce the e-Verify platform.

“From available records at our disposal, we have observed that there were requests for verification and confirmation of results from 64 institutions across 37 countries over a two-year period (2020-2022).

“Similarly, we have such requests from 72 institutions in Nigeria within the same period-this is besides requests from individuals which are numerous,” Wushishi said.

He further said the portal will help in halting misplacement of persons in institutions and organisations.

“The main goal of this system is to prevent educational institutions, employers, and other agencies from granting admission or hiring unqualified persons that may hinder the ease of achieving set goals.

” It enables local and foreign  educational institutions, organisations, recruitment agencies, foreign missions, etc, to seamlessly verify the authenticity of NECO results presented to them for admission or recruitment anywhere around the globe.” 

He noted that the platform will bring a great deal of relief to millions of candidates, educational institutions and other stakeholders.

“The ‘NECO e-Verify’ is an Online Result Verification solution that guarantees instant authentication of academic and basic information about prospective candidates for admission and employment into academic institutions and workplaces respectively.

“Result verification is an important process that helps to ensure the accuracy of academic credentials.

“By verifying the authenticity of candidates’ results, academic institutions and employers will be more confident that they are admitting and hiring persons who have the required qualification for further studies and specific job schedules.”

The Registrar said  the platform will increased confidence, reduce the risk of admitting/hiring unqualified persons that can lead to a number of risk such as poor academic performance, decreased productivity, low morale and improved efficiency.

“With proper verification of candidates results, institutions and businesses will run more efficiently as they will be able to recruit the best applicants that are capable of learning faster and employees that can carry out their duties without or with minimal supervision.

“This also places universities and other tertiary institutions on a good pedestal as candidates with questionable results would not dare to apply for admission.” 

 Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, described the platform as a game-changing initiative.

He said with the unveiling of e-Verify, NECO was aligning itself with global best practices.

He said, “This is another way of discouraging fraud and ensuring transparency in the system. “All Vice Chancellors of universities, Rectors of Polytechnics, Provosts of Colleges of Education, heads of other institutions are therefore, mandated to make use of the NECO e-verify software for verifying all candidates’ results that sat the NECO examinations.”

 The chairperson of the occasion, and  the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Dr. Akon Etim Eyakenyi, said the software was a product of a good thinking and  also a good step in the right direction.

She said ICT has revolutionarlised human interaction, redefined learning and transformed government  businesses hence the need for the software.

“We are on a world where robot are effectively replacing humans. This is the era of e-learning, e-commerce and e-government, and Nigeria needs to double up and that is what NECO is trying to do today,” she said, and

urged NECO to work towards full automation of its operations while encouraging schools to embrace technology.