Anambra Tops NECO 2025 SSCE Results with 91.20% Pass Rate; Kano Leads in Absolute Numbers – Full State-by-State Breakdown Reveals Regional Disparities

By Emmanuel Kwada

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) internal, showcasing a national pass rate of 60.26 percent for candidates achieving five credits and above, including Mathematics and English Language.

Among the standout performers, Anambra State emerged as the top state with an impressive 91.20 percent pass rate in this key category, underscoring the South-East’s consistent dominance in academic excellence. This is closely followed by Ebonyi State at 89.50 percent and Imo State at 88.70 percent, highlighting regional strengths in educational outcomes.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, unveiled the detailed results during a comprehensive press briefing at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, on Wednesday. He provided an in-depth state-by-state analysis, revealing not only percentage-based rankings but also absolute numbers of successful candidates, which reflect the volume of participants from populous states.

While Anambra led in percentage terms, Kano State topped the charts in sheer numbers, with 68,159 candidates—representing 5.02 percent of the national total—securing five credits and above, including Mathematics and English. This dual metric offers a nuanced view of performance, balancing quality (percentage) with scale (volume).

Kano State topped the charts in sheer numbers, with 68,159 candidates

Professor Wushishi elaborated on the registration and participation figures: A total of 1,367,210 candidates had registered for the examination, broken down into 685,514 males and 681,696 females.

However, 1,358,339 candidates—680,292 males and 678,047 females—actually sat for the exams, which were held from July 7 to 25, 2025. Out of these, 818,492 candidates (60.26 percent) achieved the benchmark of five credits or better, including the core subjects of Mathematics and English Language. Broader success was even more encouraging, with 1,144,496 candidates (84.26 percent) earning five credits and above, irrespective of those two subjects, indicating robust overall academic progress across the country.

Northern states like Sokoto recorded the lowest performance at 35.00 percent, prompting calls for targeted interventions

Delving into the state performances, Wushishi emphasized that the rankings are based on the percentage of candidates meeting the five-credit threshold, including Mathematics and English, as this is the most critical metric for tertiary admissions and national benchmarks. Anambra’s top position is attributed to sustained investments in teacher training, infrastructure, and student welfare programs, as noted in the Registrar’s remarks.

Ebonyi and Imo followed suit, with strong showings from other South-East and South-West states. In contrast, northern states like Sokoto recorded the lowest performance at 35.00 percent, prompting calls for targeted interventions to address disparities.

For a clearer picture, here is a detailed table summarizing the top and bottom performing states based on the percentage of candidates scoring five credits and above, including Mathematics and English (drawn from NECO’s official breakdown):

Top 5 state based on performace in 2025

Wushishi highlighted that these figures reflect a 2.5 percent improvement in the national pass rate compared to 2024’s 57.76 percent, crediting enhanced monitoring and curriculum reforms. However, challenges persist. The results of eight schools in Lamorde Local Government Area of Adamawa State remain withheld due to a communal clash that disrupted exams, impacting 13 subjects and 29 papers. “The Council has initiated discussions with the Adamawa State government to reschedule and conduct examinations for the affected schools,” Wushishi assured, emphasizing that full results cannot be released until completion.

Addressing examination integrity, the Registrar reported a sharp decline in malpractice cases, with only 3,878 candidates (0.29 percent) involved, down 61.58 percent from 10,094 in 2024. This success is attributed to stricter surveillance and technology integration. However, 38 schools across 13 states— including specifics in Rivers, FCT, Niger, Kano, and Osun—were flagged for mass cheating and will be summoned to NECO headquarters for investigations and sanctions.

Top State with absolute numbers

Additionally, nine supervisors face blacklisting: three each from Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and one each from Niger, Kano, and Osun States, for infractions such as poor supervision, aiding cheating, lateness, unruly behavior, assault, and insubordination.

Wushishi also touched on inclusivity, noting that 1,622 candidates with special needs participated, including 941 with hearing impairments (586 males, 355 females) and 191 with visual impairments (111 males, 80 females). He announced future reforms, including limiting SSCE to 38 subjects under the revised curriculum to expedite result processing.

Schools and stakeholders must uphold ethical standards to sustain this progress

Candidates are urged to access their results via the official NECO portal (results.neco.gov.ng) using their 12-digit registration number and result token, available for purchase online. Professor Wushishi stressed the importance of integrity: “Schools and stakeholders must uphold ethical standards to sustain this progress.” The release reaffirms NECO’s dedication to transparent, credible examinations, while spotlighting the need to bridge regional gaps for equitable educational advancement across Nigeria. As students gear up for JAMB and university admissions, this year’s results paint an optimistic yet cautionary picture of the nation’s academic landscape.

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