NECO Invites 40 Schools Over Mass Cheating in 2024 SSCE

The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced its decision to invite the management of 40 secondary schools from 17 states for questioning regarding alleged mass cheating during the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, made this disclosure at a press conference held in Minna, Niger State, where the results of the 2024 SSCE were released.

In total, 8,437 candidates were identified as having engaged in various forms of examination malpractice, a notable decrease from the 12,030 cases reported in 2023—reflecting a reduction of 30.1 percent. Prof. Wushishi stated that all schools implicated in cheating will be summoned for discussions, after which appropriate sanctions will be imposed.

One school in Ekiti State has been recommended for de-registration due to its involvement in mass cheating across two core subjects and one science subject. Additionally, 21 supervisors have been recommended for blacklisting for poor supervision, aiding and abetting cheating, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness, and negligence in 12 states.

In a positive note, more than 60 percent of candidates who sat for the 2024 NECO SSCE passed with credits in both English Language and Mathematics. Prof. Wushishi provided a breakdown of the candidates' performance: of the 1,376,423 candidates registered for the examination, 1,367,736 participated, including 702,112 males and 665,624 females. Out of these, 828,824 candidates—60.55 percent—achieved five credits and above, including English and Mathematics. Furthermore, 1,147,597 candidates—83.90 percent—secured five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics.

This significant announcement highlights NECO's ongoing efforts to uphold the integrity of examinations and ensure fair assessment practices across Nigeria.