MINNA — The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, with 58.67 per cent of candidates obtaining at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
The NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, announced the results on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
A total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2026 examination, comprising 682,352 males and 695,696 females. Of the registered candidates, 1,371,992 eventually sat for the examination.
Wushishi said 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
However, the overall performance was higher when the English and Mathematics requirement was excluded. According to NECO, 1,162,118 candidates, or 84.70 per cent, obtained at least five credits irrespective of their results in the two subjects.
Examination conducted across Nigeria, six countries
The 2026 SSCE Internal was conducted across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as in six foreign countries.
The overseas examination centres were located in the Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Saudi Arabia.
The examination ran from June 15 to July 23, 2026, while the nationwide marking exercise was conducted between August 17 and September 4.
Examination malpractice falls 64.74%
NECO also reported a significant decline in examination malpractice.
Wushishi said 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of malpractice during the 2026 examination, compared with 3,878 candidates in 2025.
This represents a 64.74 per cent reduction in reported malpractice cases year-on-year.
The NECO chief attributed the decline to improvements in examination procedures, stronger monitoring and collaboration between the council, security agencies and other stakeholders.
He said the measures were designed to strengthen the credibility and integrity of the examination process.
1,334 candidates with special needs participated
The council also disclosed that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the 2026 SSCE.
Wushishi said NECO continued to make provisions aimed at ensuring greater inclusiveness in the conduct of its examinations.
He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, the Ministers of Education, the NECO Governing Board, the National Assembly, security agencies, state governments, educational institutions and other stakeholders for supporting the examination process.
He also commended NECO staff for their dedication in conducting, marking and processing the results.
Candidates can check results online
With the formal release of the 2026 SSCE Internal results, candidates can now access their results through the NECO website using their examination registration numbers.
Wushishi urged candidates to remain focused on their academic pursuits and assured stakeholders that the council would continue to uphold the credibility, fairness and integrity of its examinations.
The 2026 results provide an important indicator of student performance in the country’s secondary education system, with the gap between the overall five-credit rate and the rate including English and Mathematics highlighting the continuing significance of performance in the two core subjects.