Akwa Ibom records sharp fall in 2026 NECO performance, analysis says

Akwa Ibom recorded the second-lowest performance among Nigerian states in the 2026 National Examinations Council results, according to a Premium Times analysis. Only Sokoto performed worse, with 26.82 per cent of candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark. Akwa Ibom recorded 37.42 per cent and ranked 36th nationally, making it the only southern state among the bottom 10.

The result represented a sharp decline from 2025, when the state recorded 67.08 per cent and ranked 12th. In 2024, Akwa Ibom recorded 67.32 per cent, according to the analysis. Abia retained the national top position for the second consecutive year, with 81.78 per cent of candidates meeting the benchmark.

Ebonyi followed with 81.03 per cent, while Delta ranked fourth with 75.17 per cent. Akwa Ibom was also the lowest-performing state in the South-South region. Rivers ranked 22nd with 56.38 per cent, Enugu 25th with 54.52 per cent and Cross River 18th with 62.18 per cent.

The analysis linked the result to questions about teacher quality, deployment, training, teaching aids and welfare. It cited a previous education roadmap that identified a student-teacher ratio of 120:1, inadequate training, teachers working outside their specialisations, poor counselling and low motivation among structural weaknesses. The roadmap recommended recruiting and training 2,000 secondary-school teachers and 3,000 primary-school teachers within eight months from November 2020.

Its long-term goal was to reduce the student-teacher ratio to 40:1 by 2030. Premium Times said Akwa Ibom’s public financial records no longer provided detailed capital-expenditure information, making it difficult to track spending, including on education. It also reported that the state’s education allocation represented a smaller share of its 2026 budget than that of some better-performing southern states, including Delta.

The newspaper sought explanations from Education Commissioner Ubong Umoh about the result, teacher shortages, spending and planned interventions. It said he had not responded when the report was filed.