Nigeria’s role in Africa’s educational assessment landscape is set to gain further prominence after the Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, was elected Vice-President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), while the country also secured the right to host the association’s 2027 conference in Abuja.
The decisions were endorsed by the AEAA General Assembly at the just-concluded 42nd Conference of the association in Arusha, Tanzania.
NECO, in a statement signed by Azeez Sani, Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, said, Wushishi’s election followed his service on the AEAA Executive Council as representative of the West African sub-region.
His elevation and Nigeria’s successful hosting bid come as examination bodies across Africa face growing demands for digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence into testing and certification.
Since assuming office as NECO Registrar in 2021, Wushishi has overseen reforms in examination administration, technological infrastructure and the council’s international reach.
NECO examinations are currently conducted in eight foreign countries, extending the council’s operations beyond Nigeria.
The 2027 AEAA Conference is scheduled to be held in Abuja from August 16 to 20, 2027, bringing together policymakers, researchers, examination administrators and education experts from across Africa.
The conference is expected to provide Nigeria with an opportunity to present developments in its examination system while participating in broader continental discussions on the future of educational assessment.
Wushishi, born on April 5, 1965, in Wushishi, Niger State, is a scholar of Science Education with specialisation in Chemistry Education.
Before becoming NECO Registrar, he had an academic career at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, where he served in various leadership positions, including Head of Department, Postgraduate Coordinator and Sub-Dean.
President Bola Tinubu reappointed Wushishi as NECO Registrar earlier this year, extending his leadership of the examination body.
The latest developments in Arusha place both Wushishi and NECO in a more prominent position within the continental assessment community as African examination bodies respond to technological changes and emerging challenges in testing and certification.
