The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced the release of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) internal results, revealing that 828,284 candidates (representing 60.55%) achieved five credits, including both Mathematics and English Language.
This year’s performance highlights a substantial number of successful students across the country, with Abia State leading the table.
During a press briefing at NECO’s Headquarters in Minna, Niger State, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dantana Wushishi, shared detailed insights into the examination results. According to Wushishi, a total of 1,147,597 candidates (representing 83.90%) scored five credits or more, irrespective of their performance in Mathematics and English Language, signifying a broader academic success rate.
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Breakdown of Student Participation
Out of the 1,376,423 students registered for the 2024 SSCE, 1,367,736 eventually sat for the examination, comprising 702,112 males and 665,624 females. This distribution indicates an impressive turnout and gender balance in participation. NECO’s dedication to accommodating students from diverse backgrounds was also evident in its provisions for 2,267 candidates with special needs. Among these, 1,104 candidates had hearing impairments, while others faced visual impairments (348), albinism (342), autism (237), and low vision (236).
Prof. Wushishi noted the progress made in reducing examination malpractice. In 2024, 8,437 candidates were caught engaging in various forms of malpractice, marking a 30.1% decrease from the 12,030 cases recorded in 2023. This improvement reflects NECO’s efforts to ensure a more secure and credible examination process.
The Challenge of Exam Malpractice Remains
NECO identified 40 schools across 17 states involved in whole-school (mass) cheating, a concerning trend that has prompted stringent actions. Additionally, 21 supervisors in 12 states faced recommendations for blacklisting due to their involvement in aiding and abetting malpractice, negligence, and other violations like extortion and drunkenness during the examinations. Furthermore, one school in Ekiti State was recommended for de-recognition after being caught in mass cheating in two core subjects and one science subject.
Performance Analysis by States
On the performance front, Abia State emerged as the top-performing state in the country, with 83.40% of its candidates scoring five credits, including Mathematics and English. Abia State also led in the overall pass rate, with 95.84% of students achieving five credits irrespective of these two core subjects.
At the other end of the spectrum, Katsina State ranked at the bottom, with only 42% of its candidates securing five credits, including Mathematics and English Language. Katsina was closely followed by Kano State, which had 44.42% of students meeting the same criteria. Despite its struggles, Katsina managed to edge ahead of Kano by a small margin, reflecting the disparity in educational outcomes across different regions.
Addressing The Challenges
The 2024 NECO SSCE results are seen as a highlight of both significant progress and ongoing challenges within Nigeria’s education sector. While states like Abia excel, others, particularly in the northern regions, face hurdles that require targeted interventions.
The significant success recorded by Abia State has been attributed to the recent efforts of Governor Alex Otti to revamp the state’s education sector – a stance northern governors have been advised to improve the quality of education in the region.
However, stakeholders have lauded NECO’s commitment to inclusivity, which resulted in the participation of special needs candidates. They urged more efforts to ensure these students receive the support and resources they need to excel.
There are also calls to action for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the deepening gaps in education across states. While there is a notable reduction in malpractice cases, the need for even stricter measures to ensure fairness and integrity in future examinations has been emphasized.
Abia State on the move, with the man Otti on the wheel. Well, leadership will always matter, but in Nigeria, when your cherished leader(s) is(are) incapable and bereft of good judgment, you are left with no option but to blame the followers.
You cannot experience good leadership if you keep excusing bad behaviour and explaining away failures. The jokes will continue to write themselves.