The National Examinations Council (NECO) has recorded a 64.74 per cent reduction in examination malpractice in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, even as the council released the results of the examination.

The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this on Thursday in Minna, Niger State, while announcing the release of the 2026 SSCE results.

According to him, only 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of examination malpractice during the 2026 exercise, compared with 3,878 candidates recorded in 2025.

Wushishi attributed the improvement to sustained efforts to strengthen the integrity of the examination process, alongside the vigilance and support of security agencies deployed during the exercise.

He specifically commended the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) for their presence and support, saying their efforts helped to deter wrongdoing and safeguard the credibility of the examination.

On the overall results, the registrar said 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for it.

The examination was conducted between June 15 and July 23, 2026, with the results released 63 days after the last paper was written.

Wushishi disclosed that 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent of those who sat for the examination, obtained five credits and above irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics.

He, however, said 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

The NECO boss thanked President Bola Tinubu for reappointing him for a second tenure as registrar of the council and expressed appreciation to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for his confidence in his leadership.

Wushishi assured candidates, parents, schools and other stakeholders that NECO would continue to strengthen its processes and uphold the integrity of its examinations.

He said the council remained committed to fulfilling its mandate of conducting credible examinations and maintaining public confidence in its results.