Kano State has emerged as the best-performing state in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), retaining the position for the second consecutive year.

According to the results released by NECO, 74,413 candidates in Kano obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

Lagos State came second with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo State placed third with 55,543 candidates.

The State Director-General, Media and Publicity, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, disclosed the figures in a statement.

He said Kano also recorded the highest number of candidates with five credits, including English and Mathematics, in the 2025 NECO examination.

Reacting to the result, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf commended the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for the performance, saying it reflected the impact of sustained investment in education.

Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships and support for indigent students.

The state government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, with particular attention to students from indigent backgrounds.

The governor said the intervention was aimed at reducing financial barriers and enabling students to participate in the examinations under better conditions.

He said the latest NECO result was part of the improvement recorded in the state’s education sector since the beginning of his administration.

Education has received one of the largest allocations in the state budget under the administration. In 2024, the sector received about 29.95 per cent of the budget, while the allocation rose to N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent, in 2025.

For 2026, N405.35 billion was allocated to education in the N1.47 trillion state budget, representing about 30 per cent.

Yusuf said the government’s education interventions also covered classroom renovation, teacher recruitment, learning materials, school uniforms and scholarships.

He said the administration would sustain the investment to develop an education system capable of equipping young people with skills for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership.

The governor dedicated the latest NECO performance to students, teachers, parents and residents of Kano State.

The development comes as the state’s latest annual school census recorded more than five million school children.