Kano State records the highest number of candidates who secure at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 National Examination Council of Nigeria (NECO) examinations.
A total of 74,413 candidates from the state meet the five-credit requirement, placing Kano ahead of Lagos, which records 72,496 candidates, while Oyo ranks third with 55,543 candidates.
The result marks the second consecutive year Kano has recorded the highest number of candidates with at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, following its performance in the 2025 NECO examination.
Reacting to the development, Governor Abba Yusuf, through his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, on Saturday in Kano, commends the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for what he describes as an outstanding performance.
Yusuf says the state’s consecutive performance indicates that its continued investment in education is yielding measurable results.
“Kano has maintained the first position in NECO twice in a row making the state as the leading SSCE performer for the two consecutive years, (2025 and 2026) respectively,” he said
The governor assures residents that his administration will continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships and support for indigent students.
As part of the measures, Yusuf says the state government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, particularly students from indigent backgrounds.
He says the intervention is aimed at removing financial barriers and ensuring students can sit for the examinations under improved conditions.
According to the governor, the latest NECO performance reflects the continued improvement recorded among Kano students under his administration.
“Education has consistently received the largest share of Kano State’s budget under Governor Yusuf; overshooting the UNESCO benchmark.
“In 2024, education accounted for about 29.95 per cent of the state budget. The allocation increased to N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent, in the 2025 budget.
“For 2026, the state allocated N405.35 billion to education, representing about 30 per cent of the N1,478, 829, 666, 130. 71 trillion budget,” he said.
Yusuf says the government’s education investment extends beyond examination sponsorship to classroom renovation, teacher recruitment, learning materials, uniforms, scholarships and other initiatives designed to improve education quality.
The administration’s education policies have also received recognition nationally and internationally, with Kano increasingly emerging as an education reform hub in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2024, Yusuf received the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year Award for Education, while New Telegraph recognised him as its Educational Development Governor of the Year.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers also named him its Teachers’ Friendly Governor of the Year for 2024.
“In 2025, Blueprint Newspaper recognised Governor Yusuf as Governor of the Year for Education at the paper’s national conference in Abuja. While This Nigeria newspaper awarded him as courageous Governor of the year 2024.
“The administration also received education-related recognition at International space in London and Paris 2026, for its commitment to education with international literacy and learning award and the education spending award by the Universal Learning Solution and City University, Paris respectively,” he said.
The governor says the administration’s objective is to develop an education system capable of equipping Kano’s young people with the knowledge and skills needed for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership.
He adds that Kano recorded more than five million schoolchildren in the latest annual school census.