The National Examination Council (NECO) has launched an investigation into alleged rampant cheating in the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
As part of this effort, administrators from 40 secondary schools across 17 states will be questioned.
Prof. Dantani Wushishi, NECO Registrar, made the announcement on Thursday during a press conference in Minna, the capital of Niger State, where he also announced the release of the 2024 SSCE results.
Advertisement
Wushishi revealed that 8,437 candidates were found to be implicated in various forms of misconduct, compared to 12,030 in 2023, representing a 30.1% drop.
He stated that all schools involved in cheating will be invited before the council for discussion, after which suitable punishments would be imposed.
He also informed that one Ekiti school had been nominated for deregistration due to widespread cheating in two fundamental subjects.
“During the conduct of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations, 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole-school (mass) cheating in 17 states. They will be invited to the council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.
“One school in Ekiti State was recommended for de-recognition for mass cheating in two core subjects and one science subject.
“Similarly, 21 supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness, and negligence in 12 states,” he said.
Meanwhile, over 60% of candidates who took the 2024 NECO SSCE passed with English Language and Mathematics.
READ MORE: Rudeboy Gifts Himself Luxurious Red Car
Wushishi gave a breakdown of the candidates’ performance as follows: “The number of candidates registered for the examination is 1,376,423, comprising 706,950 males and 669,473 females.
“The number of candidates who sat for the exam is 1,367,736, comprising 702,112 males and 665,624 females.
“The number of candidates with five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, is 828,824, representing 60.55 percent.
“The number of candidates with five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics, is 1,147,597, representing 83.90 percent.”
