Improvement in the results released recently by the National Examination Council has shown that ongoing reforms embarked upon by the council are beginning to yield results, its Acting Registrar, Mr Abubakar Gana, has disclosed.
Gana stated that the results of the NECO examinations of 2017 especially Mathematics and English language had shown that 70.85 per cent of candidates obtained five credits and above.
He stated these in an interview with newsmen on NECO’s efforts over the past four months at fulfilling its mandate in Abuja.
According to him, 71.48 per cent of the 2018 result indicated improvement over the 2017 results by 0.63 per cent in terms of performance of candidates.
While speaking on the 2018 NECO results, he said that 875,464 candidates, representing 84.77 per cent scored credits in English Language, while 850,331 candidates representing 82.34 per cent, scored credits in Mathematics.
Gana stated that 742,455 candidates representing 71.48 per cent scored five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“With the reforms being implemented, NECO is fast taking its place as a reliable examination management body,” he stated.
The NECO boss attributed the early release of results to efforts made by the council to satisfy the quest of candidates awaiting UTME results to gain admissions into the universities of their choice.
He said: “NECO’s effectiveness in beating the deadlines is historic. Prior to this time, NECO results took between two to three months or even more before they were released.
“This was done to ease off pressure mounted on awaiting-result candidates participating in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
“The council also realigned its procedures to ensure that results are released early to meet JAMB’s deadlines.”
Gana also said for the first time since NECO was established in 1999 its examinations were well-coordinated in June/July 2018 and results released forty days after.
He added that similar schedule had also been adopted by the West African Examination Council, which released its 2018 results after two months of conducting the West African School Certificate Examination, WASSCE.