MINNA — September 25, 2026: 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, obtaining at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
The results were announced by NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
A total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for the papers. The examination was conducted between June 15 and July 23, 2026.
84.70% Secure Five Credits
NECO also reported that 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained at least five credits when English Language and Mathematics are not included in the requirement.
The figure for candidates who obtained five credits including English and Mathematics is lower than the 60.26 per cent recorded in 2025, representing a decline of about 2.64 percentage points.
Malpractice Drops Sharply
One of the major highlights of the 2026 examination was the reported reduction in examination malpractice.
NECO said 1,406 candidates were involved in malpractice this year, compared with 3,878 in 2025. This represents a 64.74 per cent reduction.
The Registrar attributed the improvement to stronger examination processes, monitoring, security collaboration and the growing use of computer-based examinations.
Examination Held Across Nigeria and Six Countries
The examination was conducted across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as six foreign countries: Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Saudi Arabia.
NECO also reported that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the examination.
What the Numbers Mean
The 2026 results present two different pictures.
While the proportion of candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark including English and Mathematics declined compared with last year, the council recorded a substantial reduction in reported malpractice cases.
For students, parents and schools, the next focus will be on university and other tertiary admission opportunities and how candidates perform in individual subjects.
MONAFRIKA TAKE
The sharp fall in reported malpractice is one of the biggest stories from this year’s NECO examination.
At the same time, the decline in candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark including English and Mathematics shows that there is still work to do in improving learning outcomes.
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