Kano: How sustained investment is expanding opportunity, improving learning outcomes

The release of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination results by the National Examinations Council (NECO) provides an opportunity to reflect on the direction of education in Kano State. For the second consecutive year, Kano recorded the largest absolute number of candidates nationwide who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. In 2025, Kano recorded 68,159 candidates meeting this benchmark, and in 2026, the figure increased to 74,413, representing an additional 6,254 successful candidates, or approximately 9.2 per cent year-on-year growth. Kano’s 2026 figure was ahead of Lagos with 72,496 candidates and Oyo with 55,543. This achievement deserves celebration, but it also requires careful interpretation, as Kano has one of Nigeria’s largest school-age populations and examination cohorts, so the significance lies not simply in ranking first, but in the scale of opportunity created when tens of thousands of young people obtain qualifications.

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