Why We Introduced Data Capturing Machines – NECO

Leadership (Abuja)

Anayo Onukwugha

24 June 2011

The National Examination Council (NECO) said it introduced the direct data capturing machines for candidates writing its 2011 May/June senior secondary examinations across the country to curb mal-practices.

The Head, Information and Technology in NECO, Mr. Tayo Odukoya, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday in Port Harcourt shortly after a visit to some of the on-going examination centres.

Odukoya, who stated that the project was still in its pilot study, explained that the pilot scheme was currently being done with 300 secondary schools and about 60,000 candidates.

He said that all Federal Government Colleges, universities’ demonstration secondary schools, army Secondary schools, airforce secondary schools, navy secondary schools,

paramilitary secondary schools, and police secondary schools as well as state government-owned model secondary schools were involved in the pilot scheme.

In his remarks, the head of Media and Information in NECO, Mr. Ben Uzor said the council was trying its best to see that its examinations were not undermined, and added that the direct data capturing machines were part of efforts to ensure that credible examinations were held in the country.

“NECO is trying assiduously to see that we do not give anybody the chance to undermine our examinations.

All these are efforts aimed at ensuring that we have credible examinations in the country and when the results are released, they reflect exactly what the candidates wrote during the examinations.

“Whatever we do, we take approval from government. For us to have the mandate to do something like this, we got approval from the Federal Ministry of Education, they give us the leverage to do something like this.

“We are doing this to protect our examinations. It is not like we are doing this thing for our own benefit, we are doing it to protect the government and our examinations.” Uzor said.

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