The National Examinations Council (NECO) has issued a stern warning to school administrators and other stakeholders, urging them to stop registering students for its examinations by proxy.
The Council made this announcement in a statement released on Monday, signed by its Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani.
Sani highlighted concerns about this illegal practice, noting that it often leads to identity theft and the creation of fake exam results. NECO has now committed to eliminating all forms of exam malpractice.
“The Council has implemented several measures to combat impersonation in its examinations. These include the use of a Biometric Data Capturing Device, customized answer booklets, and the inclusion of candidates’ photographs and dates of birth on original certificates,” Sani explained.
He also mentioned NECO’s online platform, e-Verify, which was introduced last year to allow verification of exam results. Any certificate that cannot be confirmed through this platform is considered fraudulent, according to the Council.
NECO further urged state education ministries and school owners to ensure that only the personal details of genuine candidates are used during exam registration. The statement also revealed that results were withheld for candidates found guilty of impersonation in the recently released 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination.
“This is part of the Council’s comprehensive policy to tackle exam malpractice,” Sani added.