The National Examinations Council (NECO) has recorded a 58.67 per cent pass rate in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, with 804,948 candidates obtaining five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Professor Dantani Wushishi, announced the results on Thursday at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
The results were released 63 days after candidates completed the examination on July 23, 2026.
According to Wushishi, 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, comprising 682,352 males and 695,696 females, while 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for the exercise.
He said 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent of those who sat for the examination, obtained five credits and above, irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics.
However, 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, secured five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The registrar also announced a 64.74 per cent reduction in examination malpractice, with 1,406 candidates implicated in various forms of malpractice in 2026, compared with 3,878 candidates recorded in 2025.
He attributed the decline to improved examination procedures, strengthened monitoring and collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders.
Wushishi specifically acknowledged the contributions of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Services, saying their involvement helped promote discipline, deter misconduct and protect the integrity of the examination.
The 2026 SSCE Internal examination was conducted from June 15 to July 23 across Nigeria’s 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and six foreign countries: Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Saudi Arabia.
The nationwide marking exercise took place between August 17 and September 4, 2026.
On state-level performance, Kano 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 ranked third with 55,543 candidates meeting the same benchmark.
Wushishi also disclosed that the Southwest geopolitical zone recorded the highest share of candidates who obtained five credits and above, irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics.
The zone accounted for 24.60 per cent, 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.
In the North Central zone, Benue led the state-level ranking with 3.82 per cent, followed by Nasarawa with 3.66 per cent.
Anambra topped the Southeast ranking 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.
In the South-South, Rivers ranked first 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.
The registrar noted that candidates at NECO examination centres in Saudi Arabia and Niger Republic recorded no candidate who achieved five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
He added that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the examination, reaffirming the council’s commitment to inclusive assessment.
Wushishi expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, the education ministries, the NECO Governing Board, the National Assembly, security agencies, state governments, educational institutions and other stakeholders for supporting the examination.
He also commended NECO staff for their dedication to the conduct, marking and release of the results.
The registrar formally declared the results released and directed candidates to access them through the NECO website using their examination registration numbers.
He urged candidates to remain focused on their academic pursuits, assuring stakeholders that the council would continue to uphold the credibility, fairness and integrity of its examinations.
“We will remain committed to our mandate and continue to uphold the integrity of our examinations,” Wushishi said.
