NECO releases 2026 SSCE results as Kano leads in credit scores
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, with 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent of those who sat for the examination, obtaining five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
Giving a breakdown of the results, Wushishi said Kano State recorded the highest number of candidates who obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, with 74,413 candidates.
Lagos followed with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo State came third with 55,543 candidates.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, announced the results at a press conference in Minna, Niger State, on Thursday, 63 days after the last paper was written.
Wushishi said 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for the exercise, which was conducted from 15 June to 23 July, 2026.
Wushishi said 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained five credits and above irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics.
The registrar also announced a significant decline in examination malpractice, saying 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of malpractice in 2026, compared to 3,878 recorded in 2025. He said the figure represented a 64.74 per cent reduction in examination malpractice.
Wushishi attributed the success of the examination to the commitment of NECO staff and the support of security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
He said their vigilance and presence helped to reinforce discipline, deter wrongdoing and protect the integrity of the examination.
The registrar thanked President Bola Tinubu for reappointing him for a second tenure and commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for his confidence in the leadership of the council.
He assured stakeholders that NECO would continue to uphold the integrity of its examinations and strengthen its mandate.
He said NECO centres in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Niger Republic recorded no candidate with five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
At the geopolitical-zone level, the Southwest recorded the highest proportion of candidates with five credits and above irrespective of performance in English Language and Mathematics, with 24.60 per cent.
It was followed by the Northwest with 22.10 per cent, North Central with 19.00 per cent, Northeast with 14.70 per cent, South-South with 10.53 per cent and Southeast with 9.07 per cent.
Wushishi said the council also produced separate rankings based on candidates who obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, as well as rankings by gender.
In the North Central, Benue led the state ranking with 3.82 per cent, followed by Nasarawa with 3.66 per cent.
In the Northeast, Adamawa was among the leading states, followed by Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Gombe, while Kano led the Northwest, followed by Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Jigawa.
In the Southeast, Anambra led with 2.92 per cent, followed by Enugu with 2.14 per cent. Ebonyi and Abia recorded 1.15 per cent and 0.57 per cent respectively.
The male ranking in the zone placed Anambra first with 2.47 per cent, followed by Enugu with 1.79 per cent, while the female ranking also placed Anambra ahead with 3.82 per cent, followed by Enugu with 2.45 per cent.
In the South-South, Rivers topped the ranking with 3.03 per cent, followed by Edo with 2.17 per cent, Delta with 1.84 per cent, Akwa Ibom with 1.61 per cent and Cross River with 1.30 per cent.
For male candidates in the zone, Rivers recorded 2.85 per cent, Edo 2.06 per cent, Delta 1.79 per cent, Akwa Ibom 1.48 per cent and Cross River 1.21 per cent.
Among female candidates, Rivers recorded 3.19 per cent, followed by Edo with 2.28 per cent, Akwa Ibom with 1.73 per cent, Cross River with 1.37 per cent and Delta with 1.29 per cent.
The registrar said the detailed performance rankings were contained in the statistical tables accompanying the 2026 SSCE Internal results, providing breakdowns by geopolitical zone, state and gender.