Bayelsa State Receives NECO Award for Exceptional Performance

Bayelsa State has emerged as Nigeria’s top-performing state in the National Examinations Council examinations, earning an award of excellence from the National Examinations Council during the body’s 25th anniversary celebration.

The honour was presented to Douye Diri at the State Executive Council meeting in Yenagoa, where the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, disclosed that Bayelsa recorded the highest percentage of candidates with five credits and above in the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination results since the examination body was established.

According to Emelah, the recognition was based strictly on merit and reflected the steady growth of the state’s education sector over the years. He explained that the award was part of activities marking NECO’s silver jubilee celebration, aimed at rewarding states and institutions that have demonstrated consistent academic excellence.

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He further stated that the recognition would encourage healthy competition among states and strengthen efforts toward improving standards in Nigeria’s education system.

“Bayelsa came first in the country with the highest percentage of candidates who obtained five credits and above in NECO SSCE Internal since inception,” the commissioner said.

The education commissioner added that the award should not only be viewed as a celebration of past achievements but also as a challenge for states and institutions to improve learning outcomes and educational quality across the country. He noted that the initiative aligned with NECO’s broader objective of ensuring examination performance contributes meaningfully to national development.

Bayelsa finished ahead of Ogun State, which came second, while Edo State placed third in the national ranking.

Responding to the honour, Governor Diri expressed appreciation to NECO, describing the recognition as both encouraging and demanding. He said the award should motivate stakeholders in the education sector to work harder to sustain the state’s performance.

“This is a wake-up call to receive this type of award, particularly when you are competing with states that had been there over the years and that are believed to be educationally ahead of you,” Diri said.

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The governor also directed the Ministry of Education to maintain the standard achieved by the state, stressing that any decline in academic performance would be unacceptable.