Wushishi’s election and Abuja hosting rights highlight Nigeria’s growing influence in educational assessment across Africa.
The Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Dantani Wushishi, has been elected Vice-President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).
Nigeria has also secured the right to host the 2027 AEAA Conference in Abuja from August 16 to 20, 2027.
The decisions were endorsed by the AEAA General Assembly at the association’s 42nd conference in Arusha, Tanzania, according to a statement by NECO’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani.
Wushishi’s election follows his service on the AEAA Executive Council as representative of the West African sub-region. Since becoming NECO Registrar in 2021, he has overseen reforms focused on modernising examination administration, expanding technology infrastructure and increasing the council’s international presence.
NECO said its examinations are now conducted in eight foreign countries, reflecting the council’s growing reach beyond Nigeria.
The 2027 conference is expected to bring together policymakers, researchers, examination administrators and education experts from across Africa, providing Nigeria with an opportunity to showcase its reforms in educational assessment, particularly amid the growing use of digital technology and artificial intelligence in testing and certification.
Born on April 5, 1965, in Wushishi, Niger State, Wushishi is a scholar of Science Education with a specialisation in Chemistry Education. Before joining NECO, he held several academic and administrative positions at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
His reappointment as NECO Registrar by President Bola Tinubu earlier this year was seen as further recognition of the reforms implemented under his leadership.