Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has advocated the need for National Assembly members to review the laws establishing NECO and its mandate to reflect the current global technological realities.
The Governor stated this when he chaired a retreat organized by the National Examinations Council (NECO) in collaboration with the National Assembly, particularly the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education as well as the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies.
The one-day retreat with the theme “Legislative Functions: the Imperatives of Achieving NECO Mandate and the Challenges of Examination Legislation in Nigeria” was held in Abuja.
He observed that the retreat was timely as the laws governing NECO are obsolete considering the evolving innovations in technology such as Artificial Intelligence.
The Governor, who maintained that the Imperatives of legislation can never be overemphasised, called on the National Assembly members to double their efforts and speed up legislation that would reflect innovation in Public examinations .
He commended the management of NECO for organising the retreat, pointing out that the Council has been able to provide stewardship in administering examinations in the country and beyond.
The Governor suggested that the retreat should be expanded to all other relevant critical stakeholders in the country for wider input on better ways of addressing innovation and evolving challenges in public examinations
The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu in his address, acknowledged the role of NECO in ensuring the sustainable management of the educational landscape in Nigeria.
The Minister, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, expressed optimism that the retreat would afford the stakeholders opportunity to delve into the crucial issues of legislative functions that will enhance the effectiveness of NECO
He further noted that proper legislation would act as a mechanism for safeguarding the integrity of public examinations and protecting students rights that will ultimately empower them to excel.
Earlier, NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor, Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi explained that the retreat was to underscore their collective commitment, to building a more robust, and equitable national assessment system in Nigeria that will foster education excellence.
Professor, Ibrahim Wushishi who enumerated challenges faced by the Council to include infrastructure, funding and examination malpractice among others, called for a collaborative effort with the National Assembly members to promulgate laws that would incorporate new technology, empower NECO and build a stronger public examination system.
Participants at the retreat include National Assembly members and stakeholders in NECO among others.
