Kano State has emerged as the leading state in Nigeria in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
According to the Kano State Government, 74,413 candidates from the state obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, placing Kano ahead of Lagos State, which recorded 72,496 candidates, while Oyo State came third with 55,543 candidates.
The feat marks the second consecutive year Kano has recorded the highest number of candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark, including English and Mathematics, after topping the 2025 NECO examination performance chart.
The statement was signed by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano.
Reacting to the development, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf commended the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for what he described as an outstanding performance.
Yusuf said the back-to-back achievement demonstrated that the state’s sustained investment in education was producing measurable results.
He assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, recruitment and training of teachers, scholarships and support for indigent students.
The governor disclosed that the state government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination, particularly indigent students.
According to him, the intervention was aimed at removing financial barriers and ensuring that students could participate in the examinations under better conditions.
Yusuf said the latest NECO performance was a continuation of the improvement recorded by Kano students under his administration.
Education has consistently received one of the largest shares of the state’s budget under the present administration.
The government said education accounted for about 29.95 per cent of the 2024 budget, while N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent, was allocated to the sector in the 2025 budget.
For 2026, the state allocated N405.35 billion to education, representing about 30 per cent of the N1.478 trillion total budget.
The governor said the investment extended beyond examination sponsorship to classroom renovation, teacher recruitment, the provision of learning materials and uniforms, scholarships and other interventions aimed at improving the quality of education.
He also said the administration’s education policies had attracted national and international recognition.
The government cited awards received by Governor Yusuf from Leadership Newspaper, New Telegraph, the Nigeria Union of Teachers and Blueprint Newspaper for his contributions to education and educational development.
It also cited international recognition received in London and Paris in 2026 for the administration’s commitment to education, literacy and learning.
Yusuf dedicated the latest NECO achievement to the students, teachers, parents and people of Kano State, assuring them that his administration would sustain its investment in the sector.
He said the objective was to build an education system capable of equipping Kano’s young people with the knowledge and skills needed for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership.
The governor also noted that Kano had recorded more than five million schoolchildren in the latest annual school census.
