By Uthman-Baba Naseer, Minna

The National Examinations Council (NECO),has released the 2025 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination(SSCE) External,with 82,082 candidates,representing 86.26% got Five Credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

The Registrar and Chief Executive,NECO,Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi disclosed this during the official release of the result,held at the NECO headquarters,Minna, Tuesday,3rd February,2026.

Professor Wushishi explained that 96,979 candidates registered for the examination, while 95,160 candidates sat for the examination.

According to the Registrar”.93,425 candidates sat for English Language,out of which 73,167 representing 78.42% got credits and above”.

He further hinted that 9,016 candidates were booked for various forms of malpractice,as against 6,160 in 2024 which shows an increase of 31.7%.

The NECO boss had also disclosed that Five Supervisors,Two from FCT,One each from Kano, Adamawa and Ondo states, saying that they were recommended for blacklisting,for aiding and abetting examination malpractice.

Professor Wushishi said Four (4) centres,Two (2) from Niger,One(1)each from Yobe and Kano states found to have been involved in whole centre malpractice were recommended for de-recognition.

Wushishi noted that the SSCE examination was held on Wednesday,26th November to Sunday,13th December 2025, pointing out that the NECO is releasing the results (52) days after the examinations

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The federal government and relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector have adopted a harmonized fertilizer manual to improve crop yields, ensure food security, and manage high input costs in the country.

Speaking at a national stakeholders workshop for the validation of the Harmonized Fertilizer Manual on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director, Farm Inputs Support Services in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Abana Waziri Abba, identified low soil fertility as one of the main factors causing low agricultural productivity by farmers.

He, therefore, described the manual as a critical tool for enhancing crop productivity, improving farmers profitability, promoting sustainable economic growth, and ultimately strengthening national food security.

“Application of manures and fertilizers has the mean: of replenishing the nutrients-supplying capacity of soils. Fertilizer therefore is one of the critical farm inputs for achieving increases in crop yields and output.

“However, the same amount increased crop production largely depends on the type of fertilizer: used to supplement essential nutrients for plants, but the concerns in fertilizer application had always been that of ‘Feeding the plant or Feeding the soil’

“Meanwhile, for a very long time, conventional fertilizer use has largely been guided by blanket recommendations that fail to reflect the diverse nutrient needs of our soils across different agro-ecological zones, as well as the economic realities faced by farmers. And we know that blanket fertilizer application recommendations may lead farmers to over-fertilize in some areas and under-fertilize in others or apply an improper balance of nutrients for their soil or crop,” he explained.

The director added that validation of the manual would make sure that farmers apply the right nutrients at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place, stressing “our collective objective is to transition from generalized and often inefficient practices to site-specific fertilizer recommendation that are scientifically sound economically viable and environmentally sustainable.”

Abba further disclosed that the validation exercise was aimed at addressing the challenge of hidden hunger- lack of vitamins and minerals in food which he referred to as a form of undernutrition resulting from micronutrient deficiency.

According to him, healthy soils give rise to healthy plants which when consumed by human, give rise to healthy life, disclosing that the effort goes beyond food security, but also nutrition security.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mohammed A. Ibrahim, said “fertilizer is a major driver of productivity, but it only delivers value when it is applied correctly and responsibly.”

“When guidance is inconsistent or fragmented, we lose efficiency, and we risk long-term damage to soil health. A harmonised national manual helps us promote better yields, smarter input use, and more sustainable farming practices.

“This initiative aligns directly with NADF’s mandate to support agricultural development through evidence-based interventions and strong partnerships. We are focused on impact, improving productivity, safeguarding soil health, and strengthening food security,” Ibrahim said.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

The Presidential Amnesty Programme has distributed additional 900 laptops to its scholarship scheme beneficiaries studying in Nigerian universities in the third batch of the exercise within the country.

The institutions include two partnering institutions–Nigeria Maritime University and Admiralty University of Nigeria, and three non-partnering schools–Dennis Osadebey University, Southern Delta University, and University of Delta.

The distribution of the mobile computing device on Friday, January 30, 2026, followed the directive of the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro. The Office had conducted the first batch in May 2025 with 663 laptops and the second batch in November 2025 with 1,857 laptops.

Speaking during the recent presentations, Dr Otuaro said that the initiative was a demonstration of his unwavering commitment to human capital development in the Niger Delta.

According to him, education is a critical driver of personal growth, innovation, and sustainable development in the region and indeed the country.

Dr Otuaro, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Special Projects, Engr. Sokoto Ebikonde Victor, reiterated that his decision was aimed at equipping the PAP scholarship students with an essential tool for learning, research, and academic excellence in an increasingly technology-driven age.

He said, “This laptop distribution underscores our strong commitment to the overall academic success of our students. This laptop is an essential tool meant to enhance your learning, research, and innovation.

“We encourage you to utilize them responsibly so that you can achieve outstanding results and justify your enlistment for the scholarship scheme.

“We urge you to remain focused on your studies and to see the gesture as an investment by the Federal Government in your future and the development of the Niger Delta.

“We assure you that the Presidential Amnesty Programme will continue to implement initiatives aimed at supporting education, skills acquisition, and youth empowerment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”

The PAP helmsman expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his magnanimity towards the agency, and also thanked the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efficient supervision of the programme.

Many of the scholarship beneficiaries described the laptop distribution as timely, saying that it would greatly support their studies and pledged to utilize it properly.

They also expressed their gratitude to President Tinubu, the Federal Government and the PAP Administrator, Dr Otuaro, for giving them the opportunity to access higher education under the scholarship scheme.