Abia State has ranked number one in this year’s NECO examination, leading other states in the country as 83.40 per cent of its candidates scored five credits and above, including Mathematics and English language, while Katsina State ranked bottom on the table with 2.42 percent.
This is according to information released by the National Examination Council, NECO following the release of the results of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations, SSCE, internals with 828,284 candidates, representing 60.55 per cent, scoring five credits, including Mathematics and English Language.
NECO Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof Dantana Wushishi made this disclosure while releasing the results before newsmen at the Council’s Headquarters in Minna, Niger State on Thursday.
Wushishi revealed that the number of candidates who made five credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics, is 1,147,597 representing 83.90 per cent.
He noted that out of the 1,376,423 candidates that registered for the examination, only 1,367,736 sat for it, of which a total of 702,112 candidates were male and 665,624 female.
According to him, “The number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractice in 2024 is 8,437 as against 12,030 in 2023 which shows a reduction of 30.1 percent.”
The registrar also stated that the number of candidates with special needs is 2,267. A breakdown of the special needs shows 1,104 have hearing impairment; 348 visual impairment; 342 albinism; 237 autism; and 236 low vision.
He further revealed that during the conduct of the 2024 SSCE, 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole school (mass) cheating in 17 states while 21 supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness and negligence in 12 states.
“One school in Ekiti State was recommended for de-recognition for mass cheating in 2 core subjects and 1 science subject,” Wushishi said.
He further stated that the performance analysis by states showed Abia State leading other states in the country as 83.40 per cent of its candidates scored five credits and above, including Mathematics and English language, while Katsina State ranked bottom on the table with 2.42 percent.
“The state also leads in candidates with five credits and above irrespective of Mathematics and English language 95.84 percent.
“For least performed states with five credits and above including mathematics and English language, Katsina State is bottom on the table with 42.00 percent with just 2.42 percent ahead of Kano which came second to least with 44.42 percent,” the register announced.