NECO registrar elected AEAA vice-president as Nigeria wins 2027 conference hosting rights

Ibrahim Wushishi, registrar and chief executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), has been elected vice-president of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).

In a statement issued on Friday, Azeez Sani, NECO spokesperson, said Nigeria will also host the 2027 AEAA conference in Abuja after the examination body was granted the hosting rights at the association’s just concluded 42nd conference in Arusha, Tanzania.

Sani said the decisions were endorsed by the AEAA general assembly.

The twin developments, he said, reflect growing recognition of Nigeria’s role in educational assessment as countries respond to digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence into testing and certification.

Wushishi’s election follows his service on the AEAA executive council as the representative of the West African sub-region.

Since assuming office as NECO registrar in 2021, Wushishi has overseen reforms aimed at modernising examination administration, expanding the council’s technological infrastructure and increasing its international reach.

NECO examinations are currently conducted in eight foreign countries, according to the council.

The 2027 AEAA Conference will be held in Abuja from August 16 to 20, 2027. The event is expected to bring together policymakers, researchers, examination administrators and education experts from across Africa.

NECO spokesperson said the conference would provide Nigeria with an opportunity to showcase its ongoing reforms in educational assessment and contribute to discussions on the future of testing and certification on the continent.

Wushishi, who was born on April 5, 1965, in Wushishi, Niger State, is a scholar of science education with a specialisation in chemistry education.

Before his appointment as NECO registrar, he had an academic career at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, where he held various leadership positions, including head of department, postgraduate coordinator and sub-dean.

President Bola Tinubu reappointed Wushishi as NECO registrar earlier this year, a development that was widely viewed as an endorsement of his administrative and technological reforms at the council.

Sani said his election as AEAA vice-president and Nigeria’s successful bid to host the 2027 conference further strengthen the country’s position within Africa’s educational assessment community.