Kano tops 2025 NECO results as Gov Yusuf’s education reforms deliver historic gains

Kano State has emerged as the best-performing state in the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE Internal) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), signalling the tangible results of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s sweeping educational reforms.

This was contained in a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Wednesday.

The statement reads: “Kano led the nation with 68,159 candidates, representing 5.02 per cent of the national total, securing five credits and above, including English and Mathematics. Lagos followed with 67,007 candidates, while Oyo came third with 48,742 candidates.

“Our reforms are clearly yielding results, and this outstanding performance by our students proves that Kano is on the right path. Education remains our top priority, and we will continue working tirelessly to ensure no child in Kano is left behind.”

“Our reforms have consistently placed funding, infrastructure, and access to learning at the top of our government’s priorities. In both the 2024 and 2025 budgets, education received the single largest allocation, empowering the administration to deliver sweeping reforms that revitalised schools and inspired renewed confidence in public education.

“Among our landmark interventions are the provision of free uniforms and learning materials to pupils, massive rehabilitation of classrooms, recruitment and continuous training of teachers, and targeted promotion of girl-child education.

“These initiatives are designed to boost enrolment, ease parental burden, and create conducive learning environments across the state.”

“This is the fruition of our declaration of state of emergency in education last year and the development of the education recovery plan,” the statement added, highlighting the administration’s commitment to reversing years of neglect in the sector.

Announcing the results in Minna, Niger State, NECO Registrar, Professor Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed that out of 1,358,339 candidates who sat for the June/July examination, 818,492, representing 60.26 per cent, obtained five credits and above, including Mathematics and English.

A further 1,144,496 candidates, or 84.26 per cent, scored five credits and above irrespective of the two core subjects.

Governor Yusuf’s administration has prioritised teacher recruitment, training, and infrastructure upgrades, alongside providing scholarships and financial support for tertiary education. Such measures have been widely credited with revitalising public confidence in Kano’s schools.

Reacting, Governor Yusuf lauded the contributions of all stakeholders in the education sector. “Our reforms are clearly yielding results, and this outstanding performance by our students proves that Kano is on the right path. Education remains our top priority, and we will continue working tirelessly to ensure no child in Kano is left behind,” he said.