Kano State has emerged as the leading state in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO). The state recorded 74,413 candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. This achievement marks the second consecutive year that Kano has topped the NECO national performance chart.
Lagos State came second with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo State came third with 55,543 candidates. Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, commended the students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders for the outstanding performance. He attributed the success to the state's sustained investment in education, which has been producing measurable results.
Governor Yusuf assured the people of Kano that his administration would continue to prioritize education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships, and support for indigent students. In 2026, the state government spent over N4.4 billion to sponsor candidates for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, particularly indigent students.
The Governor said the intervention was designed to remove financial barriers and enable students to participate in the examinations under better conditions. He added that the latest NECO result was a continuation of the improvement recorded by Kano students under the present administration. Education has consistently received the largest share of Kano State's budget under Governor Yusuf.
In 2024, education accounted for about 29.95 percent of the state budget, increasing to N168.35 billion, representing 31 percent, in the 2025 budget. For 2026, the state allocated N405.35 billion to education, representing about 30 percent of the N1,478,829,666,130.71 trillion budget. The Governor said the investment goes beyond examination sponsorship to include classroom renovation, teacher recruitment, learning materials, uniforms, scholarships, and other interventions.
The administration's education policies have attracted recognition at national and international levels, with Kano fast becoming a leading education reform hub in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2024, Governor Yusuf received the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year Award for Education, while New Telegraph recognized him for educational development Governor of the year.
Governor Yusuf dedicated the latest NECO achievement to the students, teachers, parents, and people of Kano State, assuring them that the government would sustain its investment in education. The objective is to build an education system capable of providing Kano's young people with the knowledge and skills required for higher education, employment, innovation, and leadership, as Kano has recorded over five million school children in the last annual school census.
Key points
- Kano State has topped the 2026 NECO SSCE for the second consecutive year.
- The state government has invested heavily in education, with a focus on improving learning facilities and supporting indigent students.
- Kano's education policies have attracted national and international recognition, with the state becoming a leading education reform hub in sub-Saharan Africa.
