The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for school-based candidates.

The results were released on Thursday at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, exactly 63 days after the last paper of the examination.

Announcing the results, NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, said a total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2026 SSCE.

He said the figure comprised 682,352 male candidates and 695,696 female candidates.

According to him, 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for the examination, comprising 678,903 males and 693,089 females.

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

He added that 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained five credits and above irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics.

The NECO boss further disclosed that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the 2026 examination.

Examination malpractice declines

Wushishi reiterated NECO’s zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice, saying the council maintained the required standards throughout the planning, conduct and processing of the examination.

He disclosed that 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of examination malpractice during the 2026 SSCE.

The figure, he said, represented a significant decline from the 3,878 candidates involved in malpractice in 2025.

According to him, the reduction amounted to 64.74 per cent.

The Registrar attributed the successful conduct and release of the results to the professionalism, discipline and commitment of NECO staff.

He commended the council’s personnel for their attention to quality and adherence to ethical standards.

Wushishi said the credibility of the 2026 examination results was the product of sustained commitment across the council’s directorates and departments.

He said, “Your intellectual rigour, meticulous attention to quality and commitment to ethical standards have ensured that we deliver results that are credible and trusted by the students, institutions and the public.

“The success of this exercise is not accidental; it is as a result of consistent commitment across directorates and departments.”