Kano State recorded the highest number of candidates with at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination, the National Examinations Council (NECO) figures show.
According to NECO data reported by national outlets, 74,413 candidates from Kano met the five-credit benchmark in 2026, placing the state ahead of Lagos, which had 72,496 candidates, and Oyo with 55,543 candidates. The performance marks the second consecutive year Kano has topped the national chart for five-credit passes, following its lead in 2025.
Governor Abba Yusuf welcomed the result in a statement delivered through his office and congratulated students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders. The governor described the outcome as evidence that the state’s continued investment in education is yielding measurable results and pledged to sustain interventions aimed at improving learning outcomes.
The statement, released by the governor’s media team, said the Kano government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor Senior School Certificate Examination candidates, particularly indigent students, to remove financial barriers to participation. It added that the state’s investment extended to classroom renovation, teacher recruitment and training, provision of learning materials, uniforms and scholarships.
The governor’s office also highlighted budgetary allocations to the sector. The statement said the education sector received N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent of the 2025 budget, and that for 2026 the state allocated N405.35 billion to education, about 30 per cent of a N1.48 trillion budget.
The governor’s office further noted that Kano recorded more than five million schoolchildren in the latest annual school census, underscoring the scale of the state’s education responsibilities.
Separately, the statement listed a number of national and international recognitions it said the administration had received for its education policies, including awards cited at both local and international fora.
Note on attribution: the NECO performance figures and the account of the governor’s remarks were reported by national media outlets citing the council and the governor’s office. The governor’s statement was identified in one report as issued by his spokesperson Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa and in another as Sanusi Bature.
Featured image: Jonathan Riddell uploaded and derivative work: MrPanyGoff via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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