Kano tops in 2026 NECO examination, Yusuf commends students

Kano state has emerged as the leading state in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

The state recorded 74,413 candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, placing Kano ahead of other states. Lagos came second with 72,496 candidates and Oyo came third with 55,543 candidates.

The performance marks the second consecutive year that Kano has topped the NECO national performance chart, after recording the highest number of candidates with five credits, including English and Mathematics in the 2025 examination.

In a statement issued by director-general, Media and Publicity, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa,  said  reacting to the development, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf commended the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for the outstanding performance.

Governor Yusuf said the back-to-back performance was an indication that the state’s sustained investment in education was producing measurable results.

Kano has maintained the first position in NECO twice in a row making the state the leading SSCE performer for the two consecutive years, (2025 and 2026) respectively.

He assured the people of Kano that his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships and support for indigent students.

As part of the interventions, the state government spent over N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, particularly indigent students.

The governor said the intervention was designed to remove financial barriers and enable students to participate in the examinations under better conditions.

He said the latest NECO result was a continuation of the improvement recorded by Kano students under the present administration.

Education has consistently received the largest share of Kano state’s budget under Governor Yusuf by overshooting the UNESCO benchmark.