Public Service Award
Professor Dantami Wushishi set out early in life to render public service by equipping himself to become a sailor, an administrator and astute academic, having graduated from the Niger State College of Education in 1987 and quickly proceeded to the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Akaso, Borikiri, Port Harcourt in 1988 for the Naval Training Certificate.
He subsequently earned a first degree, master’s degree and a Ph.D in Science Education with bias in Chemistry from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, where he later became a lecturer before transferring his service to the Federal University of Technology, Minna in 2008.
With many scholarly publications to his credit, Prof. Dantami came to NECO, prepared. And to show the stuff he is made of, he has brought unprecedented changes and advancement at NECO.
The list of his achievements are inexhaustible, but they include timely conduct and release of the results of NECO examinations; successful conduct of trial testing in selected schools in the six geopolitical zones for subjects in various exams as well as securing intervention funds from the federal government to settle examiners, supervisors and other ad-hoc staff that participate in NECO examinations.
It is worthy of note that despite his busy schedule as NECO Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof Wushishi is also an external examiner to many universities, including University of South Africa. He is also patron of many students’ associations; and has received numerous honours from reputable institutions across the world.
Determined to make NECO an internationally recognised examination body, he initiated a series of reforms aimed at achieving excellence. Those reforms have raised the standard and brought about excellence.
His achievements at NECO have set him apart as an accomplished administrator, a great academic and a master reformer, who has contributed immensely to national development in the education sector.
For these reasons he wins The Sun Public Service Award for 2024.