The Registrar and Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, has been elected Vice-President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), further strengthening Nigeria’s influence in the continent’s education assessment sector.
The development was endorsed by the AEAA General Assembly during the association’s 42nd Conference held in Arusha, Tanzania.
In another major achievement for Nigeria, NECO has also secured the hosting rights for the 2027 AEAA Conference in Abuja, scheduled to take place from August 16 to 20, 2027.
The developments were announced in a statement issued on Friday by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani.
Wushishi’s rise reflects Nigeria’s growing assessment influence
According to the statement, Professor Wushishi’s election follows his previous service on the AEAA Executive Council as the representative of the West African sub-region.
Since becoming NECO Registrar in 2021, Wushishi has overseen reforms aimed at modernising examination administration, expanding the council’s technological infrastructure and strengthening its international presence.
NECO examinations are currently conducted in eight countries outside Nigeria, reflecting the council’s expanding international reach.
The statement linked Wushishi’s elevation to the growing importance of educational assessment as examination bodies respond to digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence into testing and certification.
Abuja to host African education experts
The decision to award NECO the 2027 AEAA Conference is expected to bring together education policymakers, researchers, examination administrators and assessment experts from across Africa.
The conference will also provide Nigeria with an opportunity to showcase developments in its examination and assessment systems while contributing to discussions about the future of educational assessment on the continent.
NECO described the twin developments as a significant recognition of Nigeria’s role in Africa’s educational assessment community.
The council said the achievements further demonstrate Nigeria’s ambition to play a leading role in shaping the continent’s evolving examination and certification landscape.
With AI, digital testing and new assessment technologies rapidly transforming education, Nigeria’s growing role within AEAA could provide an important platform for influencing how African countries approach the future of examinations and learning assessment.
