The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

A total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, comprising 682,352 males and 695,696 females.

Of the registered candidates, 1,371,992 sat for the examination, including 678,903 males and 693,089 females.

NECO said 804,948 candidates, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained at least five credits including English Language and Mathematics.

According to the council, disclosed that 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained five credits and above irrespective of their performance in English Language and Mathematics.

On examination malpractice, NECO said 1,406 candidates were booked for various offences in the 2026 examination.

The figure represents a 63.7 per cent decrease compared with the 3,878 candidates booked for malpractice in 2025.

The council also reported that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the 2026 SSCE.

Former governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, has threatened to reconsider certain relationships as some friends have been silent during his trial. 

El-Rufai, who shared his thoughts in a statement posted on X, added that his predicament has taught him some lessons about life.

El-Rufai is facing trial over alleged money laundering and conversion of public property.

He has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) since February 19, after he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The ex-governor said “adversity has a way of illuminating relationships”, and the apparent silence from those he once helped, has elicited concerns.

“Some have expressed concern at the apparent silence, in my present circumstances, of some of my colleagues, friends and family members whom I have publicly stood by or associated closely with in the past,” he said.

“What I learn in difficult times like the past few months may lead me, quietly and without regret, to reconsider the nature of certain relationships and what those that look up to me expect of them.”

He said the decision should be seen as neither reproach nor condemnation, but as a way of seeing people and life more clearly.

El-Rufai said he always tried to support his colleagues, friends, family and others, guided by his faith, upbringing, personal values and conscience.

He said he stood by people and causes he believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost, without expecting praise, gratitude or reciprocity.

The former governor said those he had supported were also free to make their own choices now that circumstances have changed.

“I have no regrets about standing by people or for causes when I believed it was right to do so, and I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he added.

“As for any injustice, ingratitude or injury done to me, I seek neither revenge nor retribution. Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter.”

El-Rufai said he would instead focus on remaining at peace with his conscience and his faith.

“In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit. My only concern is to remain at peace with my conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah,” he said.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, has called for greater efforts to ensure that Africa retains a larger share of the economic value generated from its natural and human resources.

Tinubu made the call while reflecting on discussions at the Unstoppable Africa programme in New York, held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

According to him, Africa’s economic transformation will depend not only on the resources available across the continent but also on its ability to process those resources, build productive industries and retain more value within its economies.

He said achieving this objective would require increased investment in processing and manufacturing, as well as the mobilisation of African capital through banks, sovereign wealth funds and insurance institutions.

Tinubu also stressed the importance of fully implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he said would help reduce barriers to intra-African trade and create greater opportunities for African businesses to expand across the continent.

He noted that no single sector could deliver Africa’s transformation, arguing that the continent needed a coordinated approach that brings together industrial capacity, finance, trade and entrepreneurship.

“Africa’s future will not be determined simply by the resources beneath our soil, but by what we do with them, the value we create from them, and how much of that value we retain on the continent,” he said.

Tinubu’s comments come amid continuing discussions around Africa’s efforts to move beyond the export of raw commodities and develop stronger domestic and regional value chains.

The Oando chief executive has consistently advocated greater African participation in the continent’s energy and broader economic value chains, with emphasis on investment, industrialisation and the development of local capacity.

The Unstoppable Africa gathering brought together African business leaders, policymakers, investors and other stakeholders to discuss strategies for accelerating the continent’s economic development and strengthening its position in the global economy.