The National Examinations Council (NECO) has taken its examination portals offline across Nigeria for scheduled maintenance, disrupting access for thousands of students and institutions.
NECO confirmed the shutdown in a notice on its official website. The announcement means candidates and schools cannot access important services like checking results, processing admission documents, or completing verifications.
“All our examination portals will be temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience,” the Council stated.
Before NECO made it official, many users already noticed trouble. Some students reported over a week of downtime trying to access their results or submit verification documents, especially those needing quick confirmation to meet deadlines for international university admissions.
NECO has not said how long the maintenance will last or given a specific date for restoring access. The Council has advised users to remain patient while it works on the upgrade.
NECO stands as Nigeria’s main examination body for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), running both internal (school) and external (private) exams each year, plus the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for Junior Secondary School students. This year’s BECE took place in May, with results for over 179,000 candidates recently released.
Earlier in July, NECO opened registration for the 2025 SSCE External, mainly for private candidates. Registration is open until September 18 and costs N40,000, with exams running from late September to December. The Council also introduced a new Computer-Based Testing option and support for candidates with special needs.
The shutdown of NECO’s portals is affecting not just Nigerian students but also those seeking opportunities abroad. Many are anxious for services to resume, so they can meet admission and scholarship deadlines.
