Kano Leads as NECO Releases 2026 SSCE Results

Kano State has emerged as the leading state in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination(SSCE) results released by the National Examinations Council(NECO), with 74,413 candidates securing five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Lagos State followed with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo State ranked third with 55,543 candidates who obtained five credits and above in the two key subjects.

The results were released on Thursday, 63 days after the last paper of the examination. NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, announced the results at a press conference in Minna, Niger State.

A total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 sat for the papers conducted between June 15 and July 23, 2026.

Wushishi disclosed that 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent of those who sat for the examination, obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

The council also recorded a higher overall performance when the requirement for credits in English Language and Mathematics was excluded. It said 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained five credits and above irrespective of their results in the two subjects.

The 2026 examination also recorded a significant decline in cases of examination malpractice. According to the council, 1,406 candidates were involved in malpractice, compared with 3,878 cases recorded in 2025.

The figure represents a 64.74 per cent reduction, which Wushishi linked to stronger monitoring and improved security during the examination.

He commended the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) and the Department of State Services(DSS) for their vigilance, presence and support throughout the exercise.

According to him, the involvement of the security agencies helped reinforce discipline, deter examination-related misconduct and protect the integrity of the exercise.

The state-by-state figures showed Kano ahead of other states in the category of candidates who obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics. Lagos and Oyo occupied the second and third positions respectively.

At the geopolitical level, the South-West recorded the highest share of candidates who obtained five credits and above irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics, accounting for 24.60 per cent.

The North-West followed with 22.10 per cent, while the North-Central recorded 19.00 per cent. The North-East accounted for 14.70 per cent, followed by the South-South with 10.53 per cent and the South-East with 9.07 per cent.

In the North-Central zone, Benue recorded 3.82 per cent, followed by Nasarawa with 3.66 per cent. Adamawa featured among the leading states in the North-East, followed by Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Gombe.

Kano led the North-West, ahead of Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Jigawa.

In the South-East, Anambra recorded 2.92 per cent, followed by Enugu with 2.14 per cent and Ebonyi with 1.15 per cent. Abia recorded 0.57 per cent.

The South-South figures placed Rivers ahead 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.

NECO also released separate statistical breakdowns based on gender and geopolitical zones, showing differences in the performance of male and female candidates across the states.

The council further disclosed that its examination centres in Saudi Arabia and Niger Republic recorded no candidate with five credits and above in the reported category.

Wushishi thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his reappointment for a second tenure and expressed appreciation to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for the confidence placed in the council’s leadership.

He assured candidates, parents, schools and other stakeholders that NECO would continue to strengthen its examination processes and protect the credibility of its results.

The registrar maintained that the council would remain focused on its mandate while taking measures to prevent malpractice and ensure that its certificates retain their value.