By Felix Khanoba
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced the release of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal results, with 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent of those who sat for the examination, recording at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
The results were released 63 days after the conclusion of the examination, which began on June 15 and ended on July 23, 2026.
NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed the results on Thursday at a press conference in Minna, Niger State.
Wushishi said 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 eventually participated in the exercise.
He, however, disclosed that the number of candidates who obtained five credits and above, regardless of their performance in English Language and Mathematics, stood at 1,162,118, representing 84.70 per cent.
The registrar also reported a substantial reduction in examination malpractice during the 2026 exercise.
According to him, 1,406 candidates were implicated in various forms of examination malpractice, compared with 3,878 cases recorded in 2025.
He said the development amounted to a 64.74 per cent decline in examination malpractice within the period under review.
Wushishi expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for reappointing him for a second tenure as NECO registrar, while also thanking the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for the confidence reposed in his leadership.
He commended the security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), for their vigilance and support throughout the examination period.
According to him, the presence and efforts of the agencies contributed to strengthening discipline, discouraging examination-related misconduct and safeguarding the credibility of the exercise.
Wushishi assured stakeholders and the general public that NECO would continue to discharge its mandate while maintaining the integrity and credibility of its examinations.
