The nation’s learning resource company, Learn Africa Plc, has congratulated the National Examinations Council  (NECO) and the candidates that sat for the NECO  June/July 2013 Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) on the Significant improvement recorded in the performance of students and the reduction in the incidence of examination malpractice.

Results released recently by NECO indicated that about 70 percent of candidates obtained five credits above – an improvement  of about 18 percent when compared to the 2012 figure of about 52 percent.

In a statement, Learn Africa Plc attributed the improved outcomes to quality teaching by teachers, hard work by students, availability of quality resources and seamless organization by the examination body.

The company expressed satisfaction with the result.

The Head of Marketing Learn Africa Plc,  Mr Allwell Nwankwo in a released said:”As partners in progress with NECO, we are quite delighted that students are taking up the challenge to perform at their optimum at the NECO examinations. We have no doubt that there is still room for improvement. That is why we are investing in motivating Nigerian students through the LearnAfrica-NECO Excellence Awards and other initiatives of our foundation.”

It will be recalled that in 2012, the corporate social responsibility arm of the company, the LearnAfrica Education Development Foundation, instituted the Excellence Awards to recognize and reward outstanding NECO candidates, schools and teachers in all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Nwankwo said:”We are set to reward outstanding candidates, schools and teachers. We request that candidates and schools watch out for the announcement of the 2013 LearnAfrica-NECO Excellence award-winners.  In the same vein, we wish to call upon local and state governments to recognize and reward the award-winners as some did last year. By so doing, the governments will be sending a clearly motivating message to the young ones that hard work and diligence have their reward.”

The awards, he noted considered the first of its kind in scope and coverage, were so successful last year that some state governments decided to grant scholarships to some of the award-winners.

While restating its commitment to funding the awards for five years, he urged other corporate organizations to partner it by sponsoring specific awards under the auspices of the LearnAfrica-NECO Excellence.