NECO Boss Wushishi Emerges AEAA Vice-President as Nigeria Secures 2027 African Assessment Conference By Beauty Akporido Aroh
Nigeria has secured a major diplomatic and professional breakthrough in Africa’s education sector, with the Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, elected Vice-President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).
In a related development, Nigeria has also won the right to host the 2027 AEAA Conference in Abuja, placing the country at the centre of continental discussions on the future of examinations, educational assessment and certification.
The twin decisions were endorsed by the AEAA General Assembly at the conclusion of the Association’s 42nd Conference in Arusha, Tanzania, according to a statement issued by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, on Friday.
Wushishi’s election represents a significant recognition of Nigeria’s growing influence in Africa’s educational assessment community, particularly at a time when examination systems across the continent are being reshaped by digital transformation, artificial intelligence and new approaches to testing and certification.
His emergence as Vice-President follows his service on the AEAA Executive Council as the representative of the West African sub-region.
Since assuming leadership of NECO in 2021, Wushishi has championed reforms focused on modernising examination administration, strengthening the Council’s technological infrastructure and expanding its international footprint.
One of the notable outcomes of those reforms is the expansion of NECO examinations beyond Nigeria, with the Council now conducting examinations in eight foreign countries.
The development has increasingly positioned NECO as an institution with a growing regional and international profile in examination administration and educational assessment.
Nigeria’s successful bid to host the 2027 AEAA Conference from August 16 to 20, 2027, is expected to bring policymakers, researchers, examination administrators, education experts and other stakeholders from across Africa to Abuja.
The conference will provide Nigeria with an important platform to showcase reforms in its educational assessment system and contribute to continental conversations on the future of examinations.
The hosting rights are also expected to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with African assessment institutions at a time when countries are grappling with the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence, digital examinations, data-driven assessment and emerging technologies.
For NECO, the Abuja conference could further strengthen its role in shaping conversations around the modernisation of assessment systems across Africa.
Born on April 5, 1965, in Wushishi, Niger State, Prof. Wushishi is a scholar of Science Education, specialising in Chemistry Education.
Before his appointment as NECO Registrar, he built an extensive academic career at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, where he served in several academic and administrative capacities.
His previous positions included Head of Department, Postgraduate Coordinator and Sub-Dean.
His reappointment as NECO Registrar by President Bola Tinubu earlier this year was widely viewed as a vote of confidence in the reforms implemented under his leadership.
The latest recognition in Arusha therefore represents another significant milestone for Wushishi and the examination body he leads.
With Nigeria now holding a leadership position within the AEAA and preparing to host the Association’s continental conference in Abuja, the country appears set to play a more prominent role in defining the direction of Africa’s rapidly evolving educational assessment landscape.
