IGP, Kayode Egbetokun,Â
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced plans to establish special examination centres for police officers and their families in Lagos State.
The NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, made this commitment during a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olohundare Jimoh, at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja on Friday.
Wushishi stated that NECO would consider setting up six centres to provide easier access to its examinations for police families.
“NECO conducts five different examinations, including the National Gifted Examination for placement into the Federal Government Academy, Suleja; the National Common Entrance Examination; the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE); and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), both internal and external,” he explained.
He emphasized that the external SSCE is particularly beneficial for students needing to retake subjects to meet tertiary admission requirements.
“We designate examination centres to be as close as possible to candidates’ residences, and the police families can easily fit into any of these categories,” Wushishi added.
To facilitate the process, he assured that NECO officials would visit the proposed locations provided by the Lagos State Police Command to assess their suitability for approval.
“By the grace of God, we will establish these centres. The police serve the nation, and their children should have easy access to examinations to improve their results and further their education. This initiative is crucial for the police community and the country as a whole,” he noted.
He urged the police to submit their request promptly so that NECO could begin the assessment and approval process.
Wushishi also acknowledged NECO’s funding challenges, particularly in infrastructure development, but expressed gratitude to the police for their role in providing security during examinations.
“We have an Examination Intelligence Committee that collaborates with the police to investigate and curb examination malpractice. Their support has been invaluable,” he stated.
He further highlighted Lagos as one of the states with the highest number of NECO candidates.
“Lagos registered over 98,000 candidates for the SSCE last year, making it the second-highest state after Kano, which had over 104,000 candidates,” he revealed.
The initiative, he concluded, will ensure that children of police officers can seamlessly access NECO examinations, reinforcing the government’s commitment to quality education for all.
