Recent comments from an alleged APC supporters from the South-West region part of the country have mocked the South-East, claiming that the faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra, an armed militant group led by Simon Ekpa, has declared a “Sit At Home” order to prevent students from taking their NECO exams.
However, the National Examination Council (NECO) has released the results for the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), revealing that Abia State in the South-East has emerged as a top performer.
NECO 2024 SSCE Results Released
On September 19, 2024, NECO Registrar and CEO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, announced the results during a press briefing at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State. Key highlights include:
Total Candidates Registered: 1,376,423
Candidates Who Sat for the Exam: 1,367,736
Pass Rate: 60.55% (828,284 candidates scored five credits including English Language and Mathematics)
Overall Credits: 83.90% (1,147,597 candidates scored five credits or more regardless of subject)
Wushishi noted a significant decrease in examination malpractice this year, with 8,437 candidates involved compared to 12,030 in 2023—a reduction of 30.1%.
Special Needs Candidates
Among those who participated in the exams, 2,267 candidates had special needs. The breakdown includes:
1,104 with hearing impairment
348 with visual impairment
342 with albinism
237 with autism
236 with low vision
Performance by State
Abia State led the performance rankings with 83.40% of its candidates achieving five credits and above in critical subjects. In contrast, Katsina State recorded the lowest performance at just 2.42%.
Conclusion
The release of NECO results counters any claims that students in the South-East were unable to participate fully in their examinations. The data reflects a strong academic performance from the region despite external pressures.
