The National Examinations Council (NECO) has launched a probe into mass cheating involving 38 schools across 13 states during the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE internal).
Registrar of the council, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, revealed this in Minna, Niger State, on Wednesday while announcing the release of the results.
He said the affected schools will be invited for discussions before sanctions are applied. The malpractice cases are part of 3,878 irregularities recorded this year, a sharp drop compared to 10,094 cases in 2024.
“During the conduct of the 2025 SSCE, 38 schools were found to have been involved in whole school cheating in 13 states. They will be invited to the Council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied,” Wushishi stated.
Supervisors Blacklisted
NECO also sanctioned supervisors for misconduct. “Nine supervisors: three in Rivers, one in Niger, three in the FCT, one in Kano and one in Osun State were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, lateness, unruly behavior, assault, and insubordination,” the registrar said.
He further drew attention to “a case in Lamorde Local Government, Adamawa State involving eight schools affected by a communal clash which disrupted our examinations from 7th to 25th July, 2025. A total of thirteen subjects and 29 papers were involved. We have since commenced talks with the State Government with a view to conducting the examinations for the affected schools.”
Wushishi warned: “The Council is determined to safeguard the integrity of its examinations. We will not hesitate to sanction any school or official found culpable in malpractice or negligence.”
Candidates’ Performance
Despite these setbacks, performance remained strong. Out of 1,367,210 candidates registered — 685,514 males and 681,696 females — a total of 1,358,339 sat for the exams.
Of this figure, 818,492 candidates, representing 60.26%, obtained five credits and above, including Mathematics and English. A larger group of 1,144,496 candidates, or 84.26%, scored five credits and above, regardless of the two core subjects.
Special needs candidates numbered 1,622, including 941 with hearing impairment and 191 with visual impairment.
Kano led the state-by-state performance chart with 68,159 candidates, followed by Lagos with 67,007, and Oyo with 48,742. At the other end, Gabon, one of the foreign centres, recorded no candidate with five credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
Fewer Subjects Ahead
Looking forward, Wushishi disclosed that NECO would now conduct the SSCE on only 38 subjects, in line with the reviewed national curriculum. He said this will shorten the examination process and reduce the waiting period for results.
“The reduction in malpractice cases this year is a testament to the seriousness with which we approached the conduct of the examination. We will continue to strengthen monitoring and oversight mechanisms,” he assured.
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