He dropped a message on LinkedIn: “Dear Sir. Ndubuisi Ekekwe, kindly extend our heartfelt appreciation of these Nigerians to Alex Otti, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Nigeria. As I watch these Nigerians soaked in the euphoria of celebration, I am quick to reminisce on my own sojourn.” [He was commenting on the news that years-long unpaid benefits of Abia State Polytechnic staff have been paid. Most of those workers danced and jubilated].

My Response: “Thanks for the kind words on Abia State. I have passed the message to His Excellency, Governor Otti. He appreciates the kind wishes, but at the same time he knows that all Abians must dance, not just Abia Polytechnic workers who were owed salaries for years by previous governments. The aspiration of Governor Otti is that farmers, carpenters, teachers, doctors, students, workers, and everyone will DANCE in Abia because their lives are working. He is leading to make that possible, and seeks all ABIANS to join in building that state where everyone will jubilate and dance.”

On Saturday, I attended 4 different programs where three commissioners and Chief of State were involved. I looked at the time, it was 12 midnight in Nigeria, and the men and women were still working as though they just woke up. Later, I provided an update to His Excellency, and to my surprise, he responded. I responded and he responded.

Today, one of the signs of that hardwork is here: “The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced the release of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) internal result…, with Abia State leading the table….On the performance front, Abia State emerged as the top-performing state in the country, with 83.40% of its candidates scoring five credits, including Mathematics and English. Abia State also led in the overall pass rate, with 95.84% of students achieving five credits irrespective of these two core subjects.”

Sure, more work ahead. But we will celebrate this small win. Abia State used to be top-3 in Nigeria, but we dropped outside the top 10.  But upon inauguration of Governor Otti, a key strategic objective was to return to the top-3 within four years. I am happy we are #1 within a year. The future of Abia is anchored on educating its young people; upon inauguration, nothing was spared to ensure our schools are back to maximum efficiency.

I congratulate the students, our teachers and the education leaders of our state for this. This is a validation that we can hit 99% literacy rate by 2030 so that illiteracy will be forever banished in God’s Own State.

Ndubuisi Ekekwe

Member, Abia State Economic Advisory Council

Co-Chair, Abia State Economic Transformation Council

Board Member, Abians in Diaspora Commission

The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced the release of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) internal results, revealing that 828,284 candidates (representing 60.55%) achieved five credits, including both Mathematics and English Language.

This year’s performance highlights a substantial number of successful students across the country, with Abia State leading the table.

During a press briefing at NECO’s Headquarters in Minna, Niger State, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dantana Wushishi, shared detailed insights into the examination results. According to Wushishi, a total of 1,147,597 candidates (representing 83.90%) scored five credits or more, irrespective of their performance in Mathematics and English Language, signifying a broader academic success rate.

Breakdown of Student Participation

Out of the 1,376,423 students registered for the 2024 SSCE, 1,367,736 eventually sat for the examination, comprising 702,112 males and 665,624 females. This distribution indicates an impressive turnout and gender balance in participation. NECO’s dedication to accommodating students from diverse backgrounds was also evident in its provisions for 2,267 candidates with special needs. Among these, 1,104 candidates had hearing impairments, while others faced visual impairments (348), albinism (342), autism (237), and low vision (236).

Prof. Wushishi noted the progress made in reducing examination malpractice. In 2024, 8,437 candidates were caught engaging in various forms of malpractice, marking a 30.1% decrease from the 12,030 cases recorded in 2023. This improvement reflects NECO’s efforts to ensure a more secure and credible examination process.

The Challenge of Exam Malpractice Remains

NECO identified 40 schools across 17 states involved in whole-school (mass) cheating, a concerning trend that has prompted stringent actions. Additionally, 21 supervisors in 12 states faced recommendations for blacklisting due to their involvement in aiding and abetting malpractice, negligence, and other violations like extortion and drunkenness during the examinations. Furthermore, one school in Ekiti State was recommended for de-recognition after being caught in mass cheating in two core subjects and one science subject.

Performance Analysis by States

On the performance front, Abia State emerged as the top-performing state in the country, with 83.40% of its candidates scoring five credits, including Mathematics and English. Abia State also led in the overall pass rate, with 95.84% of students achieving five credits irrespective of these two core subjects.

At the other end of the spectrum, Katsina State ranked at the bottom, with only 42% of its candidates securing five credits, including Mathematics and English Language. Katsina was closely followed by Kano State, which had 44.42% of students meeting the same criteria. Despite its struggles, Katsina managed to edge ahead of Kano by a small margin, reflecting the disparity in educational outcomes across different regions.

Addressing The Challenges

The 2024 NECO SSCE results are seen as a highlight of both significant progress and ongoing challenges within Nigeria’s education sector. While states like Abia excel, others, particularly in the northern regions, face hurdles that require targeted interventions.

The significant success recorded by Abia State has been attributed to the recent efforts of Governor Alex Otti to revamp the state’s education sector – a stance northern governors have been advised to improve the quality of education in the region.

However, stakeholders have lauded NECO’s commitment to inclusivity, which resulted in the participation of special needs candidates. They urged more efforts to ensure these students receive the support and resources they need to excel.

There are also calls to action for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the deepening gaps in education across states. While there is a notable reduction in malpractice cases, the need for even stricter measures to ensure fairness and integrity in future examinations has been emphasized.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that Nigeria’s Central Bank foreign reserves have seen a significant net inflow of $2.35 billion monthly over the past seven months of 2024.

This development, according to Edun, has contributed to greater stability in the naira and the country’s foreign exchange market, reflecting the government’s ongoing efforts to stabilize the economy amid challenging global conditions.

Speaking at the Access Bank annual corporate forum 2024 in Lagos, the minister highlighted that the continuous inflow has boosted the country’s gross reserves and alleviated concerns about currency volatility, a critical issue following the multiple exchange rate system in the past. Edun highlighted the positive outcomes of these changes.

“We have relative currency stability. And of course, the all-important margin of the rates. We’ve seen a gradual elimination of multiple exchange rates,” he said.

Foreign Reserve Growth

The increase in foreign reserves is seen as a major contributor to the enhanced liquidity in the country’s foreign exchange market. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reports that the foreign reserves surged to a historical $34.66 billion by June 2024, reflecting investor confidence and an inflow of foreign portfolio investments spurred by rising interest rates and naira devaluation. These factors incentivize investors to see Nigeria as a favorable market for returns, bolstering the reserve base.

Furthermore, remittance inflows also recorded significant growth, surging by 130% to $553 million as of July 2024, according to the CBN. This increase signals a substantial inflow of foreign currency into the country, strengthening the stability of the naira and providing a cushion against potential external shocks.

Increase in Government Revenue

Edun also pointed out the fiscal side of the government’s strategy, focusing on increasing revenue generation. He stressed that government revenues are growing but acknowledged that Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio, at just 10%, remains one of the lowest globally. The country’s revenue-to-GDP ratio is around 15%, a figure the government aims to improve through targeted fiscal reforms and infrastructure investments.

However, the minister clarified that the government does not intend to compete with the private sector for revenue but rather focuses on essential social and infrastructural investments that will spur long-term growth.

“The key to government revenue is not so much that government has revenue to compete with the private sector. It’s the fundamentals, the social and the key infrastructure spending. The social safety net spending,” Edun explained.

Oil Production and Export Diversification

In a bid to shore up fiscal revenues, Edun reiterated the government’s commitment to ramp up crude oil production. Nigeria is on track to hit its 2 million barrels per day (bpd) oil production target by the end of 2024, a significant achievement given the numerous disruptions that have plagued the sector in recent years, including theft and infrastructural decay.

Beyond oil, Edun emphasized the need for export diversification, particularly in the service sector. With Nigeria’s young and relatively skilled population, there is a growing potential for the country to become a major exporter of services. This focus on diversification, he said, aims to reduce the country’s dependence on oil revenues and create a more resilient economy capable of weathering global economic shifts.

The recent improvements in Nigeria’s foreign reserves and the push for greater export diversification come at a critical time when the government is striving to stabilize the economy and address structural challenges. While high inflation, unemployment, and fiscal deficits remain pressing concerns for Nigeria, Edun expressed conviction that the current upward trajectory in reserves and remittances could provide a buffer as the government works on long-term reforms.

However, these positive indicators have had to contend with many economic-stymieing challenges. For instance, the multiple exchange rate system, though gradually being phased out, had distorted the foreign exchange market for years, creating arbitrage opportunities that hurt the broader economy.

Economists have emphasized that the role of foreign investors and international partnerships will be key as Nigeria aims to consolidate these gains. They note that ensuring the continued inflow of capital through sound policies and economic stability will be crucial for sustaining the upward momentum in the country’s reserves and currency strength.