My Industrial training @ NECO HEADQUARTERS (ICT UNIT), MINNA NIGERIA

Hello Hivers, I still remain Emmanuel Danjuma Angibi with user name @apemmy,
I'm here to share with you my Industrial training (IT) experience, things I learned and the benefits of choosing the examination body for my attachment. Before I proceed, I will love to to give a brief history of the National Examinations council (NECO).

About The National Examinations Council (NECO)
The National Examinations Council is a Nigerian Examination body that conducts various examinations for school students in Nigeria. It conducts exams such as the National Common Entrance Examination(NCEE) for primary school students in their 6th year. the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination candidates(BECE) in the 3rd year of their junior secondary education and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) for students in the final years of their studies. The SSCE is in two categories we have the (SSCE INTERNAL) Which have age limit between the age 18 and 25, we also have (SSCE EXTERNAL) which particular exams has no age limit. The board also conduct other exams like (GIFTED) exams for children with disabilities.

History of The National Examinations Council
The National Examination Council was created in 1999 by then Military Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar to offer subsidized registration to academic candidates in Nigeria as well as an alternative to the then, only senior secondary certificate exams available at that time, WASSCE. It took over the responsibilities of the National Board of Education Measurement and had its maiden examinations in June/July 2000.

It is not new that most of students will have to undergo Industrial training at one time in the cause of their studies depending on the course of studies.
In my department, industrial training is a mandatory course one must pass. It is usually 4 months for College of Education (NCE), and it always takes effect at the end of NCE 2 second semester Examination.

After my Second semester (200L) examination, students going for industrial training were invited for orientation and are giving guidelines for a successful industrial training, after which we were given a form to fill and take to a place of our Choice for attachment, for me I already had it in mind that National Examinations council (NECO) is my choice without considering the cost of transportation and without even having it in mind maybe I was going to be rejected by the council, I was so confidence. One Monday morning I locate the NECO office in Minna, Niger State, reaching there I met a security man and explain what brought me and he told me I was not to come to the state office directly, he then refered me to the Headquarters where I spent almost 2000 naira just for transportation. On reaching the Headquarters, me and some of my course mate that went together we explained ourselves indicate our interest to do our industrial training with the council.Since it is an official place, we were asked to submit our letter of request and we were told they were going to get back to us. We left that very day. All my thoughts they will get back to me the following day but it turns out to be weeks I was fed up couple with I was running out of food stuff and different thought running through mind, I was like, others submit there own letter in other places within 2 days they start their IT, me that submitted early still waiting for weeks. When it seems like NECO were delaying me, I went back to school request for another latter again, this time I took it to chanchaga local government area secretariat in Minna, submitted it and I was asked to start my Industrial training that very day and I was shocked even though that was what I wanted but my mind was still telling me to wait for NECO. I was attending my new IT place but waiting for NECO calls, I made up my mind that if NECO call me I was going to leave the secretariat immediately. After 4 weeks of waiting, NECO finally called me to come and collect my posting letter, wow I was so excited and joyful because my prayers were answered. I went to the NECO headquarters the second time this time to collect my posting letter, reaching there they pleaded with us that the delay was never deliberate, they said it was as a result of the absence of the Registrer because he was to approve our request but he was unavoidably absence for official duties. I was given my approval letter and my posting letter. I was posted to The ICT UNIT a bit far from my lodge but is trakeable so I was never worried. Reaching the ICT UNIT, we were asked to see the ICT secretary for documentation which we did and we were asked to resume the next day.

As at that time, NECO was already preparing for the SSCE EXTERNAL examination. Since it was my first time of being in a working environment such as that time,I was opened to correction and to learn. when I came the next morning I don't know where to go I was just standing for over an hour before Mr. Hezekiah came and took me in, I overheard him speaking of detachment and labeling hmmmm, of which I know nothing about, he then took me to the printing room where all the exams resources like The Optical Mark Reader(OMR), Mark attendance sheet (EMS) and the rest are been printed. He then taught how to detach the answer sheet using their unique custodian and the respective state code. He also taught me how to package it in an envelope and how to label it using the state code, center number, exam type, exam year and paper type. In fact I really learned alot that week. The following week he shew me different department in the ICT UNIT with their functions:

1 the programming department: they are in charge of programming portal for registration, result processing and lots more.

2 the engineering department: they take care of all the electrical equipment in the council

3 Printing department: they are in charge of printing answer sheet, mark attendance sheet and printing of certificates.

4 Online support: they are in charge of making correction of name, passport, date of birth, spelling error . In general this activities are called (Non-validation). They also keep records, they receive complaints from customers via email and phone calls and provide possible solution to customers.

I was then posted to the Online support where I learned so many things which I had no knowledge of. It was never a mistake choosing the examination body as my place of attachment. That's where I learned how to use DRS machine in times of scanning of the OMR.

I had a better experience of how working environment looks like, the behavior expected of me, the mode of dressing and the likes.the training has shaped me to be a better person and I can proudly say that I can work anywhere. While in secondary school I was told that you can only use NECO result in Nigeria but It the there I knew that NECO is not meant only for Nigerians but other countries are also writing NECO, and NECO can be use in any part of the world 🌎.
I met so many people of which I wouldn't have known them if not for industrial training

All thanks to Industrial training Fund ITF for creating this platform for us to learn outside school setting.
What I learned from my Industrial training can never be forgotten.

All images are mine.