Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has attributed the state’s emergence as the overall best-performing in the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE-Internal) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) to sweeping reforms and sustained investment in the education sector.
In a statement on Thursday, the governor described the feat as “heartwarming” and a direct reflection of his administration’s commitment to repositioning education.
According to NECO’s breakdown, Kano topped the national chart with 68,159 candidates—representing 5.020 per cent of the total nationwide—who obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics. Lagos came second with 67,007 candidates (4.930 per cent), while Oyo followed with 48,742 candidates.
Yusuf said the “unprecedented success” was no coincidence, stressing that his government had deliberately placed education at the heart of its agenda.
He said: “In both the 2024 and 2025 budgets, education received the single largest allocation. This empowered us to deliver sweeping reforms that revitalised schools and inspired renewed confidence in public education.”
Among the interventions, the governor listed the provision of free uniforms and learning materials, rehabilitation of dilapidated classrooms, recruitment and training of teachers, improved funding for tertiary institutions, as well as scholarship schemes for indigenes of the state.
Yusuf added that his administration had prioritised girl-child education and taken measures to cut down the number of out-of-school children.
“Our reforms are clearly yielding results, and this outstanding performance by our students proves that Kano is on the right path. Education remains our top priority, and we will continue working tirelessly to ensure that no child in Kano is left behind,” he declared.