Kano, Lagos Lead as NECO Releases 2025 SSCE Results; Malpractice Drops by 62%
Chukwu Obinna 
NECO Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Wushishi
Minna, Nigeria – The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results, highlighting a strong performance by Kano, Lagos, and Oyo states, alongside a significant decline in examination malpractice.
NECO Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Wushishi, who announced the results in Minna, Niger State on Wednesday, said Kano topped the chart with 68,159 candidates (5.02%) achieving five credits and above including Mathematics and English. Lagos followed with 67,007 (4.93%), while Oyo placed third with 48,742 candidates.
In sharp contrast, Gabon was the lowest-performing centre, with no candidate attaining five credits including Mathematics and English.
Overall Performance
Out of 1,358,339 candidates who sat for the June/July SSCE, 818,492 (60.26%) obtained five credits and above including Mathematics and English, while 1,144,496 (84.26%) passed with five credits irrespective of the two core subjects.
A total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for the exam — comprising 685,514 males and 681,696 females — with 680,292 males and 678,047 females eventually sitting for the papers.
Sharp Drop in Malpractice
The registrar reported that 3,878 cases of malpractice were recorded in 2025, a 61.58% decline compared with 10,094 cases in 2024.
Nevertheless, NECO flagged 38 schools in 13 states for mass cheating and recommended the blacklisting of nine supervisors for aiding malpractice, poor supervision, and misconduct.
Special Needs and Disruptions
The council said 1,622 special-needs candidates participated in the exam, including 941 with hearing impairments and 191 with visual impairments.
He further disclosed that communal clashes in Lamorde LGA, Adamawa State disrupted exams in eight schools, affecting 13 subjects and 29 papers. NECO is in talks with the state government to reschedule the missed papers.
Curriculum Review
Wushishi also confirmed that NECO will now conduct exams in only 38 subjects, in line with the revised curriculum, which he said will shorten waiting time for results and improve efficiency.
“Kano, Lagos, and Oyo states have shown impressive performance. But integrity remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to sanction any schools or officials found guilty of malpractice,” Wushishi said.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 
Hussaini Ibrahim 
