Kano beats Lagos, Oyo as state with highest number of top performing students in NECO 2026

• Kano recorded the highest number of students meeting NECO’s five-credit benchmark.

• Lagos and Oyo ranked second and third with 72,496 and 55,543 candidates.

• Kano maintained the top position for the second consecutive year.

• Governor Abba Yusuf linked the result to education investment and support programmes.

Kano State has emerged as the state with the highest number of candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

The state recorded 74,413 candidates who met the benchmark, placing it ahead of Lagos State, which came second with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo State ranked third with 55,543 candidates. 

The result means Kano has maintained the top position on the NECO performance chart for the second consecutive year, after also recording the highest number of candidates with five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2025 examination.

Reacting to the achievement, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf congratulated students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders, attributing the performance to the state’s investment in education. 

The governor said the state’s continued focus on funding, improving learning facilities, recruiting and training teachers, providing scholarships and supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds had contributed to the improvement recorded in the education sector. 

According to the Kano State Government, more than ₦4.4 billion was spent in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, particularly students who may have struggled to afford examination fees.

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Lagos State, despite having the second-highest number of candidates meeting the benchmark, followed Kano with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo completed the top three ranking with 55,543 candidates. 

The ranking is based on the number of candidates who obtained five credits including English Language and Mathematics, rather than the percentage pass rate or average performance of students in each state. 

The NECO SSCE is one of Nigeria’s major secondary school examinations, assessing students at the end of their senior secondary education and serving as one of the qualifications used for further academic pursuits.