The National Examination Council has announced the accreditation of additional foreign schools as part of its strategy to enhance its international footprint.

In a statement issued by NECO’s acting Director of Public Relations, Azeez Sanni, on Saturday, it was revealed that the newly accredited institutions are located in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea.

Last year, the examination body granted accreditation to several centers in Niger Republic, allowing Nigerian students residing in the Francophone nation to participate in the examinations.

The statement highlighted, “In its commitment to broaden its scope and strengthen its global presence, the National Examinations Council has accredited more foreign schools to conduct the Senior School Certificate Examination and the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

“The newly accredited institutions, alongside the existing ones, are situated in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea.

“The NECO accreditation team conducted visits to these schools to evaluate their preparedness for administering the SSCE and BECE.

"The accreditation team inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer labs, workshops, examination halls, and sports facilities to assess their adequacy and suitability for NECO examinations."

Following an extensive review and detailed analysis, the schools have been awarded full accreditation status for both SSCE and BECE.

In a related update, candidates are currently engaged in the NECO SSCE External examinations in Diffa, Niger Republic.

The council has announced that the UNHCR School in Diffa, Niger Republic, marks the inaugural NECO SSCE External Centre established outside of Nigeria.

Candidates are now able to take NECO examinations in several countries, including Benin Republic, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.