Akakan Umoh
A total of 804,948 representing 58.67per cent passed English Language and Mathematics in the National Examination Council (NECO) results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, made the announcement at a press conference held at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State on Thursday, September 24.
Of 1,378,048 candidates showing 682,352 males and 695,696 females who registered for the examination, 1,371,992 ultimately sat for it.
A total of 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent sat the exam, 1,126,118, representing 84.70%, obtained five credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.
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A total of 1,496 candidates were involved in examination malpractice, as against 3,878 in 2025, according to him.
“Number of candidates involved in examination malpractice in 2026 was 1,496 as against 3,878 in 2025. There was a decrease of 64.74%,” the Registrar said.
The registrar explained during the question-and-answer session that the adoption of the computer-based examination had reduced the incidence of malpractice in NECO examinations.
He further said that NECO was not aware of miracle centres, saying NECO owns only one school and is not involved in miracle centres.
“We register centres and have criteria for which we register these centres. We don’t know miracle centres because we have only one school and we cannot be associated with miracle centres.
“If there are miracle centres, it is the state governments that established these miracle centres, or they are privately owned, but NECO does not believe in miracle centres,” he said.
The registrar also confirmed that 1,334 candidates with special needs took part in the examination, including 640 with hearing impairment, 149 with visual impairment, 84 with albinism, 94 with autism, 136 with low vision and 231 with adermatoglyphia.
Wushishi said the results were published 63 days after the last paper was written, following the completion of marking, verification and quality assurance.
The Registrar described the 2026 examination cycle as among the most demanding the council had faced, saying it put pressure on its systems, processes and overall readiness.
He reaffirmed NECO’s commitment to ensuring that certificates reflect candidates’ genuine academic performance, free from impersonation or manipulation.
NECO announced the establishment of a new SSCE centre in London, United Kingdom (UK), marking a milestone in its global expansion strategy aimed at providing credible assessment opportunities for Nigerians living abroad.
The new examination centre was unveiled during the Education Matters Conference UK. Prof. Wushishi revealed that the initiative was developed in collaboration with Barnfield Education Limited.
The examination ran from June 15 to September 4, 2026, and was conducted across all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
It also extended to six countries abroad: Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Saudi Arabia.
