Kano State has ranked first in the 2026 National Examination Council of Nigeria (NECO), with 74,413 candidates that obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
The result showed that Lagos emerged 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.
Reacting to the development, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in a statement by his spokesperson, Mr Sanusi Bature, commended the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for the outstanding performance.
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 as the leading SSCE performer for the two consecutive years, 2025 and 2026 respectively,” he said.
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, he said, the state government spent over N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, particularly indigent students.
