By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna

The National Examinations Council (NECO),has revealed that One Thousand, Four Hundred and Six candidates were involved in various forms of examinations malpractice in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examinations(SSCE) Internal.

Registrar/Chief Executive, NECO, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi disclosed this while announcing the official release of the 2026 SSCE Internal Examinations results,at the council headquarters Minna, Thursday.

According to Wushishi, number of the candidates involved in the exam malpractice in 2026,is (1,406) candidates,as against (3,878) candidates in 2025, which shows a decrease of 64.74%.He noted.

Dantani Ibrahim while highlighting the results, hinted that 1,378,048, representing 682,352 male and 695,696 female candidates registered for the examination.

He further explained that 1,371,992, representing 678,903 male and 693,089 female candidates sat for the examinations.

The NECO boss noted that candidates with Five (5) credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics is 1,162,118, representing 84.70%

In his words”.NECO didn’t believe in miracles centers,saying if there are any miracles centers,it means that the state governments established such center”.He emphasized.

Professor Wushishi stated that the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) internal was conducted in the Thirty (36)states of the federation and FCT,as well as Six (6) foreign countries of Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea,Niger Republic,Cote d’Ivoire,Togo and Saudi Arabia.

“. Today marks Sixty Three(63)days of the successful release of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examinations SSCE internal results.

He appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding him worthy of reappointment as Registrar for a second term,and for the continued belief in NECO’s mandate of dependable national examinations.

By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna

The Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, has commended staff of the organisation for their contributions towards the growth and development of the examination body.

Professor Wushishi made the commendation at the 2025 Annual Staff Productivity Award Ceremony held at the NECO headquarters in Minna, the Niger State capital.

He said the award was designed to recognise exceptional contributions by staff and other stakeholders, while promoting a culture of healthy competition within the organisation.

According to him, the initiative would strengthen and motivate staff to improve their performance and contribute more to the development of the examination body.

Professor Wushishi said the awards were intended to boost morale, inspire better performance and reinforce the mindset of getting better every day among staff and students.

He explained that the awards were presented in six categories, including recognition of retirees for their outstanding contributions to NECO, dedicated staff and the Best State Coordinator for 2025.

Other categories, he said, included the Best Driver, Award of Excellence for outstanding performance in other areas, as well as awards for the best-performing male and female students in 2025.

The Registrar urged staff to embrace the lessons of the ceremony and remain committed to delivering quality outcomes with integrity, timeliness and measurable impact.

He said the recognition of excellence should serve as an encouragement to staff to continue giving their best in the discharge of their responsibilities.

By George Mgbeleke

The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Rivers State will take centre stage at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, as his administration moves to showcase the State’s huge investment potentials to the world.

In a statement by his Chief Pres Secretary,Onwuka Nzeshi,the governor said the UNGA platform provides a unique opportunity to market Rivers State as Nigeria’s number one investment destination in oil and gas as well as other critical sectors.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the conference in New York, the Governor said the essence of his participation at the global meeting is to give visibility to Rivers State and showcase its economic endowments and woo investors to the state.

“The issue is very simple. We’re trying to give visibility to the state and also showcase the areas where God has really endowed us in the oil and gas sector and other aspects of the state.

“I strongly believe that at the end of this conference and other side meetings, business opportunities will be made open and presented to interested investors who might have very serious and immediate needs to come to our dear state, knowing full well the position of Rivers State in the oil and gas industry.

“I also strongly believe that we are also going to make some inroad into financing and investors opportunities for our dear state,” he stated.

Fubara explained that the investment drive at UNGA 81 is in sync with the deliberate economic reforms of his administration, particularly the establishment of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency (RSIPA) as a one-stop shop to facilitate and protect investments.

“This is not different from what we have already done before in establishing what we call the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency. What we are doing here will also aid the programme of that agency.

“Overall, I will say that Rivers State will be visible and prominent in this conference and we will come home with some good investments for our dear state,” he stated.

The Governor assured investors that Rivers State remains peaceful, stable, and open for business, with vast opportunities in oil and gas, agriculture, blue economy, manufacturing, and renewable energy.

Rivers State is among the few Nigerian sub-nationals participating actively at UNGA 81, with engagements lined up with development finance institutions, multinational corporations, and diaspora investors.