NECO promises to end exam fraud and asserts that states owe N3.3 billion.

The National Examinations Council's Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, promised on Friday that the exam body would not tolerate actions that jeopardize the integrity of its examinations nationwide, including examination malpractice, as the administration of the 2023 Senior School Examinations got underway.

After visiting various schools to keep an eye on the upcoming SSCE exams in Plateau State, Wushishi offered the caution to journalists in Jos on Friday.

"We visited other states before coming to Plateau State and interacted with the stakeholders as well," the registrar added.

"According on what we've learned from the places we've been, the examination is progressing according to schedule. Regarding how the examination is being administered, there are no significant problems. In our own capacity.

The Registrar commented that education is crucial in regards to what the examinations body is doing to combat the issue of examinations misconduct. The most crucial step we have taken to tackle the problem of exam fraud is raising awareness.

"We have internal monitors to watch over tests, and we have sponsored jingles on malpractice in the national media. Different types of misconduct and penalties exist. In order to stop examination malpractice in our educational system, we shall evaluate the degree of involvement of malpractice by candidates, supervisors, and other staff members after the conclusion of the ongoing examinations.

He stated that the number of pupils who registered for the SSCE exams this year was slightly impacted by the nation's ongoing economic problems.

In contrast to last year's 1,209,000 registrations, Wushishi stated, "This year we registered a total of One Million, Two Hundred and Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight, therefore there is a tiny reduction in the amount. This year, 584, 814 female candidates and 621,74 male candidates both registered.

He ascribed the decline in registration on state governments' inability to register more candidates, as is frequently the case, as a result of the economic difficulties the nation is currently experiencing.

Some states owe money to NECO, but they are making good use of it, he claimed. The sum outstanding as of last year was N3.3 billion, although there has been a significant response on their part.