The National Examinations Council (NECO) has recorded a 2.64 percentage-point decline in the performance of candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
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NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this on Thursday while announcing the release of the 2026 SSCE results in Minna, Niger State.
According to Wushishi, 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics. This is lower than the 818,492 candidates, representing 60.26 per cent, who achieved the same benchmark in the 2025 examination.
A total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2026 examination, while 1,371,992 eventually sat for the examination, which was conducted from June 15 to July 23, 2026.
The council also reported 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 2026 results were released 63 days after the conclusion of the examination.
Despite the decline in the overall pass rate based on the five-credit benchmark including English and Mathematics, NECO reported a significant reduction in examination malpractice during the 2026 exercise.
Wushishi said 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of examination malpractice, compared with 3,878 candidates recorded in 2025. This represents a 64.74 per cent reduction in reported malpractice cases.
The NECO registrar attributed the improvement in examination discipline partly to the support of security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), during the conduct of the examination.
He said the presence and vigilance of the security agencies helped to strengthen discipline, deter misconduct and protect the integrity of the examination.
Wushishi also thanked President Bola Tinubu for his reappointment for a second term as NECO registrar and commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for his support.
He assured candidates, parents and other stakeholders that the council would continue to uphold the integrity of its examinations and improve its operations.
The 2026 SSCE results are now available through the official NECO results portal, where candidates can check their results using their examination token and registration number.
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