**NECO and NOUN Join Forces to Safeguard Education Integrity** In a move aimed at strengthening the credibility of Nigeria's education system, the National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced plans to collaborate with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to enhance the verification of candidates' results and promote computer-based examinations nationwide. This strategic partnership is expected to boost the integrity of NECO certificates and ensure that only candidates with authentic results gain admission into NOUN. Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, Registrar of NECO, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, where he outlined the objectives of the partnership. The primary goal is to safeguard the integrity of NECO certificates through the verification of candidates' results using NECO's e-Verify platform. This system has already proven to be efficient, processing nearly five million results electronically over the past two years. The partnership is also expected to explore areas of cooperation in computer-based testing (CBT), with NECO aiming to fully migrate from paper-based to computer-based examinations. NOUN, with its extensive network of study centres across the country, is well-positioned to support NECO's expansion plans. Speaking during the visit, Prof. Wushishi congratulated Prof. Uduma on his appointment, describing him as a seasoned administrator with proven academic integrity. He also highlighted the importance of result verification in maintaining academic integrity, saying that "any certificate that is not verified is a paper tiger." With NOUN admitting about 40,000 students annually, the University is committed to ensuring that all admitted candidates present authentic credentials. The partnership between NECO and NOUN is expected to have a positive impact on the quality of Nigeria's education system. By strengthening examination credibility, the two institutions aim to promote transparency and accountability in the education sector. As Prof. Uduma noted, "Together, we can achieve great things and make Nigeria's education system the best it can be."