Kano State has emerged as the best-performing state in the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE Internal) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), a landmark feat attributed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s sweeping reforms and sustained investment in education.
The announcement was made in Minna, Niger State, by NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, who revealed that out of 1,358,339 candidates who sat for the June/July examination, 818,492 (60.26 per cent) obtained five credits and above including Mathematics and English, while 1,144,496 (84.26 per cent) scored five credits and above irrespective of the two core subjects.
Kano led the country with 68,159 candidates (5.020 per cent of the national total) obtaining five credits and above including English and Mathematics. Lagos came second with 67,007 (4.930 per cent), while Oyo placed third with 48,742 candidates.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf described the result as proof that his administration’s education-driven policies are bearing fruit.
Since assuming office, the governor has consistently prioritized education, allocating the single largest share of both the 2024 and 2025 budgets to the sector. His interventions include free uniforms and learning materials for pupils, massive rehabilitation of schools, recruitment and training of teachers, improved funding for tertiary institutions, scholarships, and targeted initiatives to promote girl-child education and reduce out-of-school children.
“These reforms are clearly yielding results, and this outstanding performance by our students proves that Kano is on the right path,” Governor Yusuf said. “Education remains our top priority, and we will continue working tirelessly to ensure no child in Kano is left behind.”
Governor Yusuf has been widely recognized for his efforts, earning multiple “Education Governor of the Year” awards from Leadership Newspaper, Blueprint Newspaper, and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). Analysts have described Kano’s NECO triumph as a testament to visionary leadership and the transformative power of sustained investment in human capital.
The governor further recalled that his administration had declared a state of emergency in education in 2024 and developed an education recovery plan to reverse years of neglect under the previous government. With 31 per cent of the 2025 budget dedicated to education, Kano’s latest performance is seen as the fruition of that bold commitment.
Kano’s historic achievement is now being celebrated nationwide as a shining example of how focused leadership can transform the future of young people through education.
