Edo State has bagged the National Examinations Council (NECO) Award of Excellence.

The award followed Edo State’s emergence as the state with the third highest percentage of candidates who obtained five credits and above in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal examinations since inception.

This was contained in a statement made available to INFO DAILY on Sunday by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr Patrick Ebojele.

READ ALSO:Okpebholo Felicitates Muslims On Eid-el-Fitr Celebration

NECO, while announcing the annual award, said it recognises state governments and institutions that have demonstrated consistent excellence in students’ academic performance and participation in its examinations.

The examination body noted that the category of award highlights measurable, data-driven achievements, including high pass rates, expanded access to examinations, and sustained investment in the education sector.

Accordingly NECO, the recognition also underscores the importance of sub-national governments in improving educational standards and outcomes across the country.

READ ALSO:How Bloomberg’s $1m Award For Benin City Validates Okpebholo’s Vision For Urban Renewal

“It also reflects the critical role of sub-national governments and institutions in driving educational outcomes and improving standards. By rewarding excellence at the state level, the award encourages healthy competition and stronger commitment to quality education,” the council stated.

NECO added that the award aligns with its broader mission of promoting quality education and ensuring that assessment outcomes contribute meaningfully to national development.

The council further described the honour as both a recognition of achievement and a challenge to other states and institutions to improve standards within Nigeria’s education system.

…I left home to earn a living — Husband

An Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, has dissolved the marriage between a couple, Aisha Salisu and Abubakar Isah under Islamic law on the grounds of abandonment by the latter for six years and lack of love.

Aisha had approached the court seeking the dissolution of her marriage to Abubakar for lack of love, negligence and six years disappearance.

Aisha stated that her husband married her under Sharia Islamic law, while both parties reside in Anguwan Hashimu, Mararaba, within the court’s jurisdiction.

READ ALSO:‘My Husband Showed No Concern To Our State Of Infertility, Refused To Attend Treatments’

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), she alleged that Abubakar failed to take up his responsibilities in the home as husband.

“He does not provide for my healthcare, feeding and clothing.”

She prayed the court to dissolve the marriage based on lack of love and abandonment for six years.

READ ALSO:My Husband Is A Figurehead, I Feed Our Five Children, Pay Their Fees

Abubakar, who did not deny the allegations, told the court that he left the house to go and earn more money.

He, however, told the court to grant his wife’s prayer and pronounced divorce on her under the Islamic law.

The judge, Adamu Haruna, granted Aisha’s request and asked the two to go their separate ways.

He ordered Aisha to wait for three-months before contracting another marriage.

The Presidency has disclosed details of meetings held between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and top United States government officials during a three-day working visit to Washington from May 4 to May 6.

Ribadu met with US Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State and Acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, Undersecretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, and Assistant Secretary of War Daniel Zimmerman.

The meetings, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, focused on counterterrorism, defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, regional security, economic resilience, and democratic governance.

The statement noted that Ribadu conveyed Tinubu’s commitment to Nigeria’s longstanding strategic partnership with the United States and used the visit to push for deeper bilateral cooperation in addressing security threats facing West Africa and the Sahel region.

READ ALSO:Why Tinubu Didn’t Attend Project Commissioning In Lagos —Presidency

The NSA identified terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime, and cyber threats as key areas requiring sustained joint action between both countries.

At the US Department of State, Ribadu met with Undersecretary Hooker and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementing the agreed roadmap under the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group (JWG), a bilateral framework established to coordinate structured cooperation on strategic and security matters.

Both sides, according to the statement, reviewed progress under the JWG and discussed measures to strengthen intelligence sharing, military cooperation, border security, strategic communications, and capacity development for Nigerian security institutions.

It added that Ribadu also briefed US officials on ongoing reforms by the Tinubu administration aimed at improving national security, stabilising conflict-affected communities, and addressing the root causes of insecurity.

READ ALSO:2027: Why We Called On Goodluck Jonathan To Run For Presidency – Ohikere

The statement noted that US officials acknowledged Nigeria’s role as a leading strategic partner on the continent and commended its efforts toward regional peace and security.

Both sides also pledged to sustain diplomatic engagement and ensure the effective implementation of ongoing bilateral initiatives.

The statement reads partly, “The meetings provided an opportunity for both sides to review the current state of Nigeria–United States relations and to further strengthen ongoing collaboration in counterterrorism, defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, regional security, economic resilience, and democratic governance.

“Ribadu emphasised the importance of sustained cooperation in addressing emerging security challenges confronting West Africa and the broader Sahel region, particularly terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime, and cyber threats.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Set To Name Envoys – Presidency Sources

“The NSA noted that Nigeria remains fully committed to working with international partners in promoting peace, stability, democratic governance, and economic development across Africa. He further underscored Nigeria’s role as a regional leader and frontline state in counterterrorism efforts across the Lake Chad Basin and West Africa.

“Discussions also focused on the evolving security situation in the Sahel, the need for enhanced regional cooperation, and the importance of strengthening institutional capacity to respond effectively to complex and asymmetric threats.

“During his meeting with Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker at the U.S. Department of State, NSA Ribadu expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to the U.S. government for its continued support and cooperation in various sectors, particularly in security assistance, intelligence collaboration, defence capacity building, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism operations.

“He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementing the agreed roadmap under the Nigeria–U.S. Joint Working Group (JWG), established to advance structured bilateral cooperation on strategic and security-related matters.”