Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Examinations Council (NECO) expands its continental reach as several schools in Burkina Faso secure full accreditation to conduct the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
NECO confirmed the development in a Sunday statement signed by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani. He explains that an accreditation team carries out a detailed inspection of facilities in the approved schools.
“We assess classrooms, libraries, laboratories, workshops, ICT centres, examination halls, sports facilities, security structures, and teachers’ records,” Sani states. He adds that all evaluated institutions meet NECO’s standards.
NECO describes the expansion as a reaffirmation of its commitment to broadening access to credible examinations across Africa. The Burkina Faso approval follows the recent establishment of a NECO centre in London, adding to centres in Togo, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, M.D. Galadima praises the move, saying it ends years of hardship for Nigerian families abroad. “Parents previously travelled to Saki in Oyo State for registration and examinations. It was expensive and risky,” he notes.
Accreditation team leader, Dr Uche Ezenwanne, says the new centres ensure Nigerian students in Burkina Faso can sit for NECO examinations without travelling home.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Korede Abdullah 
Koko Maxwella