By Uzair Adam
Kano State has emerged as the leading state in Nigeria based on the number of candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The development was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano, on behalf of the Kano State Government.
According to the statement, Kano recorded 74,413 candidates who secured at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, ahead of Lagos State, which placed second with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo came third with 55,543 candidates.
The result marks the second consecutive year Kano has recorded the highest number of candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark, including English Language and Mathematics, after achieving a similar feat in the 2025 NECO examination.
Reacting to the development, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf congratulated the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders, describing the performance as an indication of the progress being recorded in the state’s education sector.
Governor Yusuf said the back-to-back performance demonstrated that the government’s sustained investment in education was producing measurable outcomes.
He assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, recruitment and training of teachers, scholarships and support for indigent students.
The governor said the state government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination, particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
According to him, the intervention was aimed at removing financial barriers that could prevent students from participating in the examinations and ensuring they sat for the examinations under improved conditions.
Yusuf said the latest NECO performance was part of the broader improvement being recorded by students in the state under his administration.
Education has continued to receive a significant share of Kano State’s budget under the current administration. In 2024, about 29.95 per cent of the state budget was allocated to the sector, while the allocation rose to N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent, in the 2025 budget.
For 2026, the state allocated N405.35 billion to education out of a total budget of N1.478 trillion, representing about 30 per cent of the overall budget.
The governor said the government’s investment in education extends beyond examination sponsorship to include classroom renovation, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials and uniforms, scholarships and other interventions aimed at improving the quality of education.
The statement also highlighted several awards and recognitions received by Governor Yusuf for his administration’s education-related policies.
In 2024, Leadership Newspaper named him Governor of the Year for Education, while New Telegraph recognised him as its Education Development Governor of the Year. The Nigeria Union of Teachers also named him Teachers’ Friendly Governor of the Year in the same year.
In 2025, Blueprint Newspaper recognised Yusuf as Governor of the Year for Education at its national conference in Abuja, while ThisNigeria honoured him as its Courageous Governor of the Year.
The statement further said the administration received education-related recognition internationally in 2026, including an international literacy and learning award and an education spending award attributed to Universal Learning Solution and City University, Paris.
Other recognitions listed in the statement include the Vanguard Governor of the Year Award for Good Governance in 2024, the BusinessDay Governor of the Year Award in 2025 and the African Governor of the Year Award presented by African Leadership Magazine in Casablanca, Morocco.
Yusuf dedicated the latest NECO achievement to the students, teachers, parents and people of Kano State, assuring them that his administration would sustain its investment in the sector.
He said the ultimate objective was to build an education system capable of equipping young people in the state with the knowledge and skills needed for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership.
The governor also referenced the scale of the state’s education system, noting that Kano recorded more than five million schoolchildren in the latest annual school census.
