However, the examination council disclosed that 93 schools were found to be involved in whole-school (mass) cheating while 52 supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting during the examinations.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this while announcing the release of the results of the examination.

Wushishi said the erring schools would be invited to the council for discussion after which appropriate sanctions would be applied.

He said 1,196,985 candidates, representing 616,398 males and 580,587 females, sat the examinations, adding that 1,543 candidates with special needs also sat the examinations.

Wushishi said, “The number of candidates with Special Needs is 1,542, which includes 913 candidates with hearing impairment, 162 candidates with visual impairment, 103 candidates with albinism, 61 candidates with autism, 149 candidates with low vision, and 154 candidates with adermatoglyphic, which are candidates with no fingerprints.

“737,308 candidates, representing 61.60 per cent,  passed with five credits and above, 1,013,611, representing 84.68 per cent of candidates, had five credits, irrespective of English and Mathematics.”

Speaking further on the erring schools, the NECO boss said, “In line with our resolve to identify and sanction erring schools and supervisors, 93 schools were found to have been involved in whole-school (mass) cheating. They will be invited to the council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.

“Similarly, 52 supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting during the examination.

“At this juncture, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to formally declare that the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination Internal results are hereby released to the public. By this release, candidates can now access their results on NECO website: www.neco.gov.ng, using their examination registration numbers.”

Registrar of the examination body, Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this during the release of the results of the 2022 Internal Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations on Thursday in Minna.

“Niger State owes about N500m as they have currently reduced their outstanding debts. The state government has assured us that it will pay and clear off the debts,” Wushishi said.

He confirmed that the examination body is withholding the results of all students in the state as a result of the debt owed by the state government.

The registrar added that he had advised the state government to separate the names of candidates who were self-sponsored from those sponsored by the government to enable them to access their results.

He added, “We have requested from the state government to try and separate the names of those the state is sponsoring and those sponsored by their parents and guardians.

“Jigawa State cleared off its debts and paid for the registration of all its students this year. Kano State has one of the largest numbers of registered students. The state owed close to N1bn but this year they paid for the registration of all the candidates in the state and paid more than 70 per cent of the backlog it owed.”

Wushishi also revealed that the council recorded a decline in examination malpractices in the 2022 internal SSCE as compared to other years.

He said, “In the area of malpractices, 13,595 persons were caught as against 20,003 in the year 2021, which showed an appreciable decline in the number of malpractice cases.”

He said the council had zero tolerance for malpractice, adding that the council recommended the de-recognition of four schools for two years due to their involvement in mass cheating.

Wushishi further stated that supervisors, who were found wanting in their conduct during the examination, had been sanctioned.

He said, “29 supervisors were blacklisted for various offences ranging from poor supervision, insult, aiding and abetting during the examinations.”

The registrar gave the number of candidates that registered for the examinations as 1,209,703; while 1,198,412 sat for the examination.

He further stated that the number of candidates who got five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics is 727, 864; representing 60.74 per cent.

He added that the number of candidates with special needs is 1, 031 adding that 98 candidates are with albinism, 177 with autism, 574 with hearing impairments and 107 visually impaired.

The exam body said the examinations which were scheduled to commence on February 1 and end on March 3, will now start on February 8 and end on March 10.

NECO’s spokesperson, Azeez Sanni made this known via a statement released on Tuesday, January 26. It was further learnt that special arrangements have been made for candidates who missed some papers due to the #EndSARS protests in certain states to take those exams with the External candidates.

It read “Following requests by candidates to be given more time to complete their registration process for the 2020 SSCE (External), the National Examinations Council (NECO) has fixed new dates for the examination. The council hereby informs those candidates, who missed some papers during the 2020 SSCE (Internal) due to the EndSARS protests in some states, to take note of these new dates and report for the examinations accordingly at their various examination centres to be designated”

Prof. Obioma officially took over the affairs of the Council from the former Acting Registrar Mallam Abubakar Gana on Friday, 22nd May 2020 at the Council’s headquarters in Minna.

In the appointment letter dated 15th May 2020 with Reference No: FME/PS/396/C1/1/134, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu said the appointment is for an initial tenure of five years and is effective from May 14, 2020.

The NECO registrar who has been suspended since 2018 following a probe of allegations of unsatisfactory conduct against him with one involving the mismanagement of N25 billion, was dismissed alongside four members of the management for various offences bordering on financial impropriety.

Other dismissed senior officials of the exam body include Bamidele Olure, director of finance and accounts; Shina Adetona, head of NECO’s procurement division; Tayo Odukoya, deputy director; and Babatunde Aina, head of legal and board matters

The letter read in parts “After due consideration of the investigative panel on the allegation of unsatisfactory conduct levelled against you and some management staff of the council, Mr President in the exercise of his powers, has approved your removal as the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of National Examinations Council with effect from the date of your suspension from duty.”

Uwakwe was directed to hand over all government property in his custody to Abubakar Gana, who had been appointed as the acting registrar since 2018.

The examination, which is conducted for admission into federal unity colleges was postponed over the coronavirus disease that now has over 40 confirmed cases in Nigeria.

The statement read ”The National Examination Council, NECO wishes to inform all candidates, guardians and relevant stakeholders of the indefinite postponement of the 2020 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) into Federal Unity Colleges earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday 28 March, 2020.”

The acting NECO Registrar, Abubakar Gana, noted this while receiving the National Association of Nigerian Students in Abuja on Monday, adding that the body would do everything possible to ensure that candidates seeking admission to universities and other tertiary institutions did not wait long before receiving their results.

Gana said, “NECO came into being in 1999 because of the agitations for it and based on the recommendations of various committees. Since 2000, we have been conducting examinations and one advantage is that we have given the West African Examinations Council a wake-up call.

“There were times in the past where universities and other tertiary institutions took very long periods to admit students. But with our coming, we started releasing results within 90 days.

“We started like that but as I am talking to you, the last release we had was done in 43 days.”

Meanwhile, NANS, led by its Senate President, Abubakar Gambo, presented an award to the registrar on the occasion of the 20th year of the establishment of the council.

He added “prudent management of resources by the council had enhanced the elimination of wastage and stealing thus giving rise to the remittance of almost N1bn to the Federal Government.”