The Bayelsa State Government has received an award of excellence from the National Examinations Council (NECO) in recognition of the state’s outstanding academic performance in national examinations.
The award was presented to Governor Douye Diri during the weekly State Executive Council meeting held at Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday.
Presenting the honour, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, disclosed that NECO recognised Bayelsa as part of activities marking the examination body’s 25th anniversary celebration.
According to the commissioner, Bayelsa earned the award on merit for recording the highest percentage of candidates who obtained five credits and above in the NECO Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) since the establishment of the council.
Emelah explained that the recognition reflected the state government’s commitment to educational development and academic excellence, noting that the award would further encourage healthy competition and improved standards among states and educational institutions across the country.
He stated that NECO’s decision to reward excellence was aimed at strengthening accountability and promoting continuous improvement within the education sector.
The commissioner further noted that the award was not merely a celebration of past achievements but also a challenge to other states and institutions to improve their standards in line with NECO’s broader objective of advancing quality education and national development.
Giving a breakdown of the performance ranking, Emelah said Bayelsa emerged first in the country with the highest percentage of candidates who secured five credits and above in NECO SSCE Internal examinations since the inception of the examination body.
He added that Ogun State ranked second, while Edo State came third in the national performance rating.
Responding after receiving the award, Governor Douye Diri expressed appreciation to NECO for the recognition, describing it as both an honour and a challenge to sustain the state’s educational progress.
The governor said the recognition should serve as a wake-up call for the Ministry of Education and all stakeholders in the sector to maintain and improve on the standard already achieved.
He stressed that Bayelsa must not allow a decline in performance after attaining national recognition, especially while competing with states traditionally regarded as educationally advanced.
Diri charged the education ministry to remain committed to policies and programmes that would consolidate the state’s position as one of the leading educational performers in Nigeria.
He emphasised that the government would continue to prioritise quality education as a key component of human capital development and sustainable growth in the state.
