The National Examinations Council (NECO) has confirmed that the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) will continue as scheduled on Tuesday, despite the public holiday declared by the Federal Government.
On Monday, the government announced a seven-day national mourning and declared Tuesday a public holiday to honour the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. The announcement caused confusion and anxiety among students, schools, and parents, who were unsure whether the NECO exams would be postponed.
However, the Public Relations Officer of NECO, Mr. Azeez Sani, cleared the air, stating that the exams will hold nationwide as planned. He explained that the papers scheduled for Tuesday — Physics, Financial Accounting, and Basic Electricity — cannot be postponed without affecting the rest of the exam timetable.
“The exam, involving three papers, is holding tomorrow (Tuesday). We can’t afford to postpone it. If we do so, it will affect other examinations,” Mr. Sani told Daily Sun.
In Lagos, the State Coordinator of NECO, Mr. A.S. Adedoyin, also sent a notice to schools, reaffirming that the exams will not be interrupted by the public holiday.
“Despite the public holiday declared tomorrow (Tuesday) in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, our exams will proceed as scheduled without interruption,” he stated.
He urged all school principals to ensure their students are informed and ready to sit for the papers on time.
For many students across the country, this means preparing as usual and being present at their exam centers on Tuesday morning, regardless of the public holiday.
This clarification comes as a relief to thousands of SSCE candidates and helps avoid any last-minute confusion.
