States Performance Ranking In NECO 2026 [FULL LIST]

Candidate performance in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) experienced a slight drop compared to the previous year.

A state-by-state analysis of the results shows that only 19 out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) performed above the national benchmark average of 60.13 per cent, while the remaining 18 states fell below it.

The ranking is calculated using the proportion of candidates in each state who secured at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, rather than total candidate numbers.

Announcing the official release of the results in Minna, Niger State, NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed that out of 1,378,048 registered students, 1,371,992 sat for the examination.

Among those who sat, 804,948 candidates—representing 58.67 per cent—obtained five credits and above, including English and Mathematics.

Because tertiary institutions across Nigeria require at least five credits including English and Mathematics for admission, 567,044 candidates (41.33 per cent) failed to meet the basic university entry requirement this year.

This performance marks a slight decline from 2025, when 60.26 per cent of candidates passed the benchmark. On malpractice, NECO noted a significant drop in candidate involvement, falling from 3,878 cases in 2025 down to 1,406 in 2026.

Highs and Lows Across States
Abia State emerged as the overall best-performing state for the second consecutive year, leading the nationwide ranking with 81.78 per cent of its candidates attaining five credits including English and Math.

Ebonyi State came second with 81.03 per cent, while Ekiti State recorded an impressive jump from 10th position in 2025 (68.50 per cent) to third position in 2026 with 77.68 per cent.

Lagos State, which fielded the second-largest pool of candidates, ranked 6th overall as 72,496 of its 97,771 candidates (74.15 per cent) passed the benchmark.

At the bottom of the table, Sokoto State recorded the lowest pass rate nationwide at 26.82 per cent. Kano State, despite presenting the highest number of candidates overall (162,302), ranked 31st as only 74,413 students (45.85 per cent) passed. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also recorded a below-average performance at 46.18 per cent.

While NECO has released figures for key high-volume, top-tier, and lowest-performing states, the official breakdown for all intermediate positions remains subject to full publication by the examination council.

NECO 2026 State Performance Breakdown

Top-Performing States

• 1st: Abia – 81.78%
• 2nd: Ebonyi – 81.03%
• 3rd: Ekiti – 77.68%
• 6th: Lagos – 74.15% (72,496 out of 97,771 candidates passed)
• 7th: Oyo – 74.12%
• 8th: Imo – 74.10%
• 9th: Bayelsa – 73.92%
• 10th: Ogun – 73.34%

Below-Average & Lowest-Performing States

• Jigawa – 48.95%
• FCT (Abuja) – 46.18%
• 31st: Kano – 45.85% (74,413 out of 162,302 candidates passed)
• Yobe – 44.57%
• Katsina – 41.54%
• Borno – 40.34%
• Adamawa – 37.76%
• Akwa Ibom – 37.42%
• 37th (Lowest): Sokoto – 26.82%