The National Examinations Council (NECO) has launched investigations 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, disclosed this in Minna, Niger State, on Wednesday while officially releasing the 2025 SSCE results.
Mass Cheating & Ongoing Investigations
According to Prof. Wushishi, the affected schools will be summoned for discussions before appropriate sanctions are applied.
“During the conduct of the 2025 SSCE, 38 schools were found to have engaged in whole-school (mass) cheating in 13 states. They will be invited to the Council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied,” he explained.
In addition, nine supervisors—three in Rivers, one in Niger, three in the FCT, one in Kano, and one in Osun—were recommended for redlisting due to poor supervision, aiding malpractice, lateness, unruly behavior, assault, and insubordination.
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Disrupted Examinations in Adamawa
Prof. Wushishi drew special attention to Lamorde Local Government Area in Adamawa State, where communal clashes disrupted examinations from July 7 to July 25, 2025. The disruption affected:
- 13 subjects
- 29 papers
He confirmed that discussions with the Adamawa State Government are ongoing to reschedule the exams for the affected schools.
Candidate Performance Overview
Despite malpractice concerns, the registrar presented a largely positive outcome:
- Registered candidates: 1,367,210 (685,514 males; 681,696 females)
- Candidates who sat for exams: 1,358,339 (680,292 males; 678,047 females)
- 5 credits including English & Mathematics: 818,492 (60.26%)
- 5 credits irrespective of English & Mathematics: 1,144,496 (84.26%)
Candidates with Support Needs
This year, 1,622 candidates with support needs participated in the exams. They included:
- 941 with hearing impairment (586 males, 355 females)
- 191 with visual impairment (111 males, 80 females)
This reflects NECO’s effort to make examinations more accessible and inclusive.
State-by-State Performance
In the state ranking:
- Kano State led with 68,159 candidates (5.02%) earning five credits including English and Mathematics.
- Lagos State followed with 67,007 (4.93%).
- Oyo State came third with 48,742 candidates.
- At the bottom, Gabon (foreign centre) recorded zero candidates with five credits including Mathematics and English.
New Measures & Future Reforms
Looking ahead, NECO announced that it will now conduct exams in only 38 subjects, in line with the reviewed national curriculum. This reform is expected to shorten the exam process and reduce waiting time for results.
Wushishi also stressed NECO’s commitment to strict supervision:
“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 to safeguard integrity.”
Final Note
The release of the 2025 NECO SSCE results highlights both progress and challenges. While malpractice cases dropped by 61.58% compared to 2024, the mass cheating probe underscores the need for stricter oversight. Nevertheless, with over 818,000 candidates achieving 5 credits including English and Mathematics, the results reflect a promising trend in Nigeria’s educational performance.
Credit:Allschool,Allcbts
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