Kano leads 2026 NECO results by number of candidates meeting key credit mark

Kano State recorded the highest number of candidates obtaining at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 National Examination Council examination, according to figures cited by Governor Abba Yusuf. The state recorded 74,413 candidates meeting the benchmark, followed by Lagos with 72,496 and Oyo with 55,543. The result marks the second consecutive year in which Kano has recorded the highest number of candidates meeting the stated standard, according to the governor’s statement.

Yusuf congratulated students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, he said the back-to-back result indicated that the state’s investment in education was producing measurable results. The governor said his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships and assistance for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He said the Kano government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination candidates, particularly indigent students. The intervention, he said, was intended to remove financial barriers and help students take part in the examinations under better conditions. Yusuf also cited budget allocations as evidence of the state’s focus on education.

He said education accounted for about 29.95 per cent of the 2024 budget, while the 2025 allocation rose to N168.35 billion, or 31 per cent. For 2026, he put the allocation at N405.35 billion, representing about 30 per cent of the state’s N1.478 trillion budget. The governor said spending extended beyond examination sponsorship to classroom renovation, learning materials, uniforms, scholarships and teacher recruitment.

He added that the state’s education policies aimed to prepare young people for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership.