• Only 58.67% obtained five credits

Only 1,406 candidates, representing a 64.74 per cent reduction, were involved in various forms of malpractice in the just-released 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal results, the National Examinations Council (NECO) has said.

Releasing the results yesterday in Minna, Niger State, NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, said the development was a major highlight of the 2026 examination, which involved over 1.37 million candidates across the country, as malpractice cases fell by nearly two-thirds from the 3,878 recorded in 2025.

However, NECO disclosed that only 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Excluding the performance in the two core subjects, the figure rose substantially, with 1,162,118 candidates, or 84.70 per cent, obtaining five credits and above.

The results of the examination conducted between June 15 and July 23 were released 63 days after the last paper was written. In other details, the registrar disclosed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 eventually sat for it.

Meanwhile, the sharp decline in malpractice is particularly significant for NECO, which has continued to face the challenge of maintaining the credibility of national examinations as candidates and other actors allegedly compromise the processes.

Wushishi attributed the improved integrity of the exercise partly to the vigilance and support of security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

He explained that their presence helped reinforce discipline, deter malpractice and protect the integrity of the examination.

Moreover, the 2026 results highlight the gap between general credit attainment and performance in the two subjects critical to progression into many tertiary education programmes.

While 84.70 per cent of candidates obtained no fewer than five credits, irrespective of English and Mathematics, the proportion fell to 58.67 per cent when credits in both subjects were made compulsory.

This means that over four in every 10 candidates who otherwise obtained five credits did not meet the combined English and Mathematics benchmark.

Nevertheless, Wushishi said the council would continue to strengthen its processes and uphold the integrity of its examinations.