NECO Releases 2025 External Results with 71% Pass Rate Amid Massive Surge in Cheating

It’s a day of mixed emotions for thousands of “private” students across Nigeria as the National Examinations Council (NECO) officially pulled back the curtain on the 2025 SSCE External results. While the academic performance reached impressive new heights, a dark cloud of examination malpractice looms over the victory.

Announcing the results at the council’s headquarters in Minna on Tuesday, the Registrar, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, revealed that Nigerian students are getting better at hitting the books. Out of the 95,160 candidates who sat for the exams, a whopping 71.63% secured the “golden ticket” for university admission: five credits, including the dreaded English Language and Mathematics.

However, the “all-around” performance was even more staggering, with over 86% of candidates clearing five subjects regardless of English and Math.

But the “Renewed Hope” for education is facing a tough battle against old habits. Prof. Wushishi sounded a loud alarm over a 31% spike in exam malpractice. Over 9,000 candidates were caught in various fraud schemes a significant jump from the 6,160 cases recorded in 2024. NECO isn’t playing around, though; four centers in Niger, Yobe, and Kano have been stripped of their licenses, and several supervisors are now on a permanent blacklist for helping students cheat.

“We remain committed to the integrity of our certificates,” Wushishi stated, noting that the council managed to process these results in just 52 days.

For many candidates, these results represent a second chance at life and a doorway to tertiary education in 2026. The Registrar urged all candidates to log onto the official NECO portal immediately to check their fate.