The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, with 84.70 per cent of candidates scoring five credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.
Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, announced the release of the results on Thursday at a news conference held at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
He formally declared the 2026 SSCE Internal results released to the public, urging candidates to continue their academic pursuits with renewed hope and determination.
According to Wushishi, a total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, comprising 682,352 males and 695,696 females.
He said 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for the examination, comprising 678,903 males and 693,089 females.
Wushishi disclosed that 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent of those who sat for the examination, obtained five credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.
He, however, disclosed that 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The examination was conducted across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as six foreign countries: Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Saudi Arabia.
The examination was held from June 15 to September 4, 2026.
Wushishi said the results were being released 63 days after the conclusion of the examination, following the completion of all processes of marking, verification and quality assurance.
He described the 2026 examination cycle as one of the most challenging for the council, saying it tested its systems, processes and readiness.
He said the council remained committed to ensuring that certificates issued to candidates reflected their true academic performance and were not obtained through impersonation, manipulation or other forms of examination malpractice.
On examination malpractice, the NECO boss disclosed that 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of malpractice in 2026, representing a 64.74 per cent decrease from the 3,878 cases recorded in 2025.
He attributed the reduction to the council’s sustained efforts to strengthen examination security and quality assurance.
Wushishi also disclosed that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the examination.
He said the figure included 640 candidates with hearing impairment, 149 with visual impairment, 84 with albinism, 94 with autism, 136 with low vision and 231 candidates with adermatoglyphia.
The NECO registrar expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, for their support for the council.
He also commended security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other institutions for their support during the examination.
Wushishi said candidates could access their results through the NECO website using their examination registration numbers.
He assured stakeholders that the council would continue to uphold the integrity and credibility of its examinations.