Nationwide Examinations Council, on Tuesday, revealed that 9,016 candidates who sat the 2025 Senior College Certificates Examination Exterior perpetrated numerous types of examination malpractice, elevating recent issues over the integrity of the train regardless of improved educational outcomes.
NECO mentioned the quantity represents 9.47 per cent of the 95,160 candidates who sat for the examination. The determine marks a major rise from the 6,160 candidates recorded in 2024, reflecting a 31.7 per cent enhance in malpractice instances.
NECO Registrar and Chief Govt, Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, disclosed this whereas asserting the discharge of the 2025 SSCE Exterior outcomes on the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
He mentioned the examination was performed between November 26 and December 13, 2025, whereas the marking train befell from January 5 to January 21, 2026. He famous that the outcomes had been launched 52 days after the final written paper, in line with NECO’s coverage of well timed consequence processing and credible evaluation supply.
Whereas acknowledging the spike in malpractice instances, Ibrahim-Wushishi mentioned the 2025 exterior examination nonetheless recorded an total cross fee of 71.63 per cent, one of many strongest performances because the introduction of the SSCE Exterior.
The registrar disclosed that 96,979 candidates registered for the examination, comprising 51,823 males (53.43 per cent) and 45,156 females (46.56 per cent). Out of this quantity, 95,160 candidates finally sat the examination, together with 50,785 males (53.36 per cent) and 44,375 females (46.63 per cent).
Offering a breakdown of topic efficiency, the NECO registrar mentioned 93,425 candidates sat English Language, out of which 73,167 candidates, representing 78.32 per cent, obtained credit score and above. In Arithmetic, 93,330 candidates participated, with 85,256 candidates, or 91.35 per cent, scoring credit score and above.
General, 68,166 candidates, representing 71.63 per cent, obtained 5 credit and above, together with English Language and Arithmetic, the minimal requirement for admission into tertiary establishments. As well as, 82,082 candidates, or 86.26 per cent, secured 5 credit and above regardless of English and Arithmetic.
Ibrahim-Wushishi mentioned the SSCE Exterior examination is designed primarily for personal candidates, together with those that missed the inner examination or search to enhance beforehand obtained grades. The examination, which covers 16 topics, supplies candidates with a second alternative to qualify for admission into universities and different tertiary establishments inside and out of doors Nigeria.
Nonetheless, the registrar expressed concern over the size of malpractice recorded within the 2025 train. He disclosed that 5 examination supervisors had been really useful for blacklisting for aiding and abetting malpractice. Two of the supervisors had been from the Federal Capital Territory, whereas one every got here from Kano, Adamawa and Ondo States.
As well as, NECO really useful 4 examination centres for derecognition on account of whole-centre malpractice. The affected centres embody two in Niger State, and one every in Yobe and Kano States.
The malpractice statistics point out that just about one in each ten candidates was concerned in examination offences, a improvement that has renewed issues amongst schooling stakeholders in regards to the effectiveness of deterrence measures and supervision, notably in exterior examinations usually linked to so-called “miracle centres.”
Past malpractice, Ibrahim-Wushishi disclosed that NECO is at present owed about N2 billion by some state governments. He appealed for improved funding and cooperation, warning that sustained indebtedness may undermine the council’s potential to conduct high quality examinations nationwide.
He described the discharge of the 2025 outcomes as one other milestone in NECO’s mandate to offer credible assessments and dependable certification, and expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his continued help of the schooling sector.
In the meantime, NECO’s issues over malpractice align with broader federal efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s examination system. It will likely be recalled that in June 2025, the Federal Ministry of Training declared a zero-tolerance coverage towards examination malpractice, extending accountability past candidates to oldsters, guardians, colleges and examination officers.
“Any mother or father or guardian who allows, helps, or participates in such felony behaviour will likely be prosecuted. This administration is not going to tolerate any try and undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s schooling system,” the Minister of Training, Dr Tunji Alausa, mentioned in an official assertion.
The warning adopted reviews of fogeys intimidating or assaulting lecturers and examination officers imposing anti-malpractice laws. As a part of the reforms, the Federal Authorities additional directed that any pupil caught dishonest in a nationwide examination would face a three-year ban throughout all exterior examination our bodies, together with NECO, WAEC, JAMB and NABTEB.
The directive was conveyed in a round dated Might 27, 2025, signed by JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin. Issued below Sections 5(1)(c)(iv) and 6 of the JAMB Act, the coverage additionally targets colleges, CBT centres and operators of unlawful “miracle centres.”
“College students concerned in examination malpractice must be barred from sitting for any exterior examinations in Nigeria for 3 years utilizing the instrumentality of the NIN. Such a stringent measure will function a deterrent to different college students and fogeys,” the round acknowledged.
Since its institution in 2000, NECO has performed the SSCE Exterior yearly, with efficiency traits displaying regular enchancment over time. Early educational research point out that Arithmetic cross charges ranged between 29.5 per cent from 2000 to 2004, enhancing to 47.9 per cent between 2005 and 2009. By 2020, NECO recorded an exterior cross fee of about 66.5 per cent, a benchmark that has been surpassed in recent times.
In 2023 and 2024, NECO recorded a constant 67.35 per cent cross fee for candidates with 5 credit together with English and Arithmetic, earlier than reaching 71.63 per cent in 2025, one of many highest within the historical past of the examination.
But, the 9.47 per cent malpractice fee recorded in 2025 underscores a lingering contradiction: whereas educational outcomes are enhancing, examination integrity stays below pressure.