The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, with 58.67 per cent of candidates obtaining five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

The Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Professor Dantani Wushishi, announced the results on Thursday at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

Wushishi said 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, comprising 682,352 males and 695,696 females. A total of 1,371,992 candidates eventually sat for the examination.

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

The examination was conducted from June 15 to July 23, 2026, across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as six foreign countries.

The marking exercise was conducted nationwide between August 17 and September 4, 2026.

On examination malpractice, the NECO boss said 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of malpractice in 2026, compared with 3,878 candidates recorded in 2025.

He said this represented a 64.74 per cent reduction, attributing the decline to improved examination processes, stronger monitoring and increased collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders.

Wushishi also disclosed that 1,334 candidates with special needs participated in the examination, noting that NECO continued to make provisions to promote inclusiveness.

He thanked the Federal Government, education authorities, the NECO Governing Board, National Assembly, security agencies, state governments, schools and other stakeholders for their support.

He also commended NECO staff for their commitment to the successful conduct, marking and release of the examination results.

The NECO Registrar formally declared the results released and said candidates could access their results through the NECO website using their examination registration numbers.

He urged candidates to remain focused on their academic pursuits, assuring stakeholders that the Council would continue to uphold the credibility, fairness and integrity of its examinations.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced Wednesday, September 30, 2026, as the commencement date for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream One Orientation Course across the country.

The NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, urging prospective Corps members to take note of the schedule and make necessary preparations.

According to the statement, the three-week orientation exercise will run from Wednesday, September 30, to Tuesday, October 20, 2026, across NYSC orientation camps in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Registration of prospective Corps members will commence on September 30 and close on Friday, October 2, while the official swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2026.

The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, wished prospective Corps members and course officials safe journeys to their respective orientation camps.

He also advised Corps members to prioritise their safety by avoiding night journeys and using vehicles from designated motor parks when travelling to their camps.

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, FCA, has challenged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to deepen its investment in research and innovation capable of producing practical solutions to Nigeria’s developmental challenges, declaring that the future of the nation’s economy depends largely on the strength of its educational institutions.

Governor Ododo stated this on Thursday at the 2026 TETFund North Central Stakeholders’ Town Hall Meeting held at the Glass House of the Kogi State Government House, Lokoja, with the theme, “The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and Its Impact on Tertiary Institutions in North Central Nigeria.”

The Governor, who served as Chief Host, described education as the foundation upon which prosperous societies are built, stressing that investment in the sector remains one of the most enduring investments any nation can make. According to him, “Every prosperous nation is first built in the classroom before it is built in the marketplace.” He said education develops the human mind, unlocks innovation and prepares citizens to solve contemporary challenges.

Ododo particularly urged TETFund to devote greater resources to research in agriculture, mining, healthcare, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and security. He said tertiary institutions must move beyond theoretical research and become solution centres capable of providing governments and industries with ideas that can translate the North Central’s agricultural, mineral and human resources into food security, industrial growth, employment and sustainable prosperity.

The Governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening TETFund under the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the Federal Government’s commitment demonstrates an understanding that education is not merely a social service but a strategic investment in national development. He also praised TETFund for its interventions in infrastructure, research, academic staff development and institutional capacity building, assuring that Kogi State would continue to provide an enabling environment for programmes that strengthen teaching, research, innovation and skills development.

Governor Ododo specially congratulated Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Ocholi, the TETFund Board of Trustees Member representing the North Central Zone, for initiating the stakeholders’ Town Hall shortly after his appointment. He described the initiative as a demonstration of purposeful leadership, accountability and genuine commitment to tertiary education, noting that bringing together Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, education commissioners, students, traditional rulers and other stakeholders would help produce practical solutions to the challenges confronting the sector. He said no single institution or individual could provide all the answers, stressing that progress requires collaboration.

In his welcome address, Dr. Ocholi said the meeting was designed to provide a strategic platform for dialogue, accountability and collaboration among TETFund, beneficiary institutions, governments, students and host communities. He highlighted interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including academic staff development, innovation and entrepreneurship hubs, research, digital transformation, postgraduate scholarships, infrastructure, robotics and coding facilities, artificial intelligence laboratories and renewable energy projects.

The stakeholders subsequently endorsed President Tinubu for a second term, citing his interventions and reforms in education, and also endorsed Governor Ododo for a second term while supporting APC governorship candidates across the North Central Zone.

The forum appointed Governor Ododo as Patron of the Group, resolved to commence peaceful grassroots mobilisation, commended the Federal Government’s support for TETFund and NELFUND, and called for increased funding for TETFund. Votes of confidence were also passed in SGF Senator George Akume, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, TETFund Chairman Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari and Executive Secretary Arc. Sonny St. Echono.