The National Examinations Council, NECO, says stronger monitoring and collaboration with security agencies contributed to a major reduction in examination malpractice during the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE Internal.

Announcing the results in Minna, Niger State, NECO Registrar, Professor Dantani Wushishi, said 1,406 candidates were involved in examination malpractice in 2026, compared with 3,878 recorded in the previous year. He described the development as a 64.74 per cent decline.

The registrar said the improvement followed increased vigilance and support from security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Services, whose personnel participated in monitoring examination activities across centres.
Beyond examination integrity, NECO also released the overall performance figures for the 2026 SSCE Internal. Wushishi disclosed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 candidates sat for the papers conducted between June 15 and July 23, 2026.

According to the council, 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained at least five credits in their subjects, while 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, secured five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics.

The results also showed differences in performance across states and regions. NECO identified Kano as the highest-performing state based on candidates who obtained five credits including English and Mathematics, followed by Lagos and Oyo. The Southwest region recorded the highest overall performance ranking under the council’s classification.

Wushishi said NECO remains committed to protecting the credibility of its examinations through improved supervision, stronger partnerships and continued enforcement of examination standards. The council also released detailed performance breakdowns by geopolitical zones, states and gender to provide stakeholders with a clearer picture of candidates’ outcomes.