The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), revealing disturbing cases of mass cheating across multiple states. A total of 38 schools from 13 states were implicated in widespread cheating, prompting swift action from the council.
In a press statement issued on September 17, 2025, NECO’s Registrar and CEO, Professor Dantani Wushishi, confirmed that the affected schools have been summoned for discussions, with sanctions to follow. He condemned the malpractice but also acknowledged the overall success of the examination, which saw results released 54 days after the last paper.
“During the 2025 SSCE, we discovered that 38 schools across 13 states engaged in mass cheating,” Wushishi said. “The schools involved have been called to the council for further discussions, and appropriate sanctions will be imposed.”
While the cases of mass cheating raise significant concerns, the examination results themselves show some promising statistics. More than 60% of the candidates passed with at least five credits, including in Mathematics and English, a crucial achievement for students looking to advance in their academic careers. A total of 818,492 candidates, representing 60.26%, met the stringent criteria of five credits with Mathematics and English. Additionally, 1,144,496 candidates (84.26%) earned five credits or more, regardless of the inclusion of Mathematics and English.
Despite the progress, the integrity of the examination was marred by several incidents. Nine supervisors, found guilty of aiding and abetting cheating, poor supervision, and misconduct, have been recommended for blacklisting. These supervisors were stationed in Rivers, Niger, FCT, Kano, and Osun states.
On a positive note, the number of candidates involved in malpractice decreased significantly. A total of 3,878 candidates were found guilty of various forms of cheating, a sharp drop from the 10,094 cases recorded in 2024, representing a 61.58% reduction.
Read Also: UBA Foundation Launches 2025 National Essay Competition with N18m in Prizes
“We have seen substantial improvements in terms of malpractice reduction,” Wushishi remarked. “The number of candidates involved in cheating has dropped considerably compared to last year.”
In terms of state performance, Kano emerged as the leading state with the highest number of candidates who passed with five credits, including Mathematics and English, with 68,159 successful candidates. Lagos followed closely with 67,007 candidates, while Oyo secured the third spot with 48,742 candidates.
For students with special needs, NECO reported that 1,622 candidates with various disabilities, including hearing and visual impairments, sat for the exam, demonstrating the council’s commitment to inclusive education.
One of the highlights of this year’s SSCE was the reduction in the waiting time for results, with NECO’s shift towards focusing on 38 subjects, down from previous years. This adjustment, according to Wushishi, will expedite result processing and improve the overall examination experience.
In addition, NECO is in talks with the Adamawa State government to address the disruption caused by communal clashes in Lamorde Local Government Area, where several schools were unable to complete the examination.
“We are working with the Adamawa State government to ensure that examinations are conducted for the affected schools,” Wushishi said.
