The Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, has been elected Vice-President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).

Nigeria has also secured the hosting rights for the 2027 AEAA Conference, which will take place in Abuja from August 16 to 20, 2027.

The twin decisions were endorsed by the AEAA General Assembly at the conclusion of the association’s 42nd Conference held in Arusha, Tanzania.

The development underscores Nigeria’s growing influence in educational assessment across Africa, particularly amid increasing demands for digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence into testing and certification.

Wushishi’s election followed his service on the AEAA Executive Council as representative of the West African sub-region.

Since assuming office as NECO Registrar in 2021, he has introduced a number of reforms aimed at modernising examination administration, strengthening the council’s technological infrastructure and expanding its international presence.

Under his leadership, NECO examinations are currently conducted in eight foreign countries, extending the council’s operations beyond Nigeria.

The hosting of the 2027 AEAA Conference is expected to provide Nigeria with an opportunity to showcase its reforms and innovations in educational assessment while bringing together policymakers, researchers, examination administrators and education experts from across the continent.

Born on April 5, 1965, in Wushishi, Niger State, Wushishi is a scholar of Science Education with specialisation in Chemistry Education.

Before his appointment as NECO Registrar, he had an extensive academic career at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, where he held several leadership positions, including Head of Department, Postgraduate Coordinator and Sub-Dean.

His reappointment as NECO Registrar by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier this year was seen as an endorsement of his technological and administrative reforms at the examination body.

His election as AEAA Vice-President and Nigeria’s successful bid to host the association’s 2027 conference are expected to further strengthen the country’s position within Africa’s educational assessment community.

The developments also reinforce Nigeria’s ambition to play a leading role in shaping the continent’s evolving examination and assessment landscape