The National Examination Council has maintained that Kano State ranked first nationwide in the 2025 NECO examinations, dismissing claims that Abia State emerged the best.
A report by a national daily had earlier suggested that Abia topped the chart, citing its state code number 001 as a basis for ranking. But NECO described the report as “misleading and not correct.”
The paper claimed that “Kano candidates scored 50-16 per cent, showing they failed as only 49.84 per cent of its 136,762 candidates had at least five credits, including Mathematics and English.”
Reacting, a NECO official who asked not to be named said the report was based on “an analysis of candidates’ performance by states, not the final results and ranking.”
He explained, “On the final performance ranking, Kano with its 015 code is first, while Abia with 001 is 35th in the whole country.”
Performance sheets seen by reporters show that Lagos led in male performance, recording 43,538 registrations, 43,202 candidates sitting, and 30,203 securing five credits including Mathematics and English, representing 4.44 per cent.
Kano followed with 62,223 male registrations, 61,854 candidates sitting, and 28,308 earning five credits and above, representing 4.10 per cent.
However, NECO said Kano came first overall on female ranking, with 137,338 registered candidates, 136,762 sitting, and a 5.02 per cent success rate, while Lagos placed second with 4.93 per cent.
The Director of Kano Educational Resource Centre, Hajiya Rabi Inuwa, also credited the state’s performance to government support. “The state governor paid over N3 billion examination fees even before the commencement of the examinations,” she said.
