Kebbi rejects false NECO ranking, says public schools opted for WAEC since 2022
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By Victor Ahiuma-Young
The Kebbi State Government has dismissed as false and misleading a publication claiming that the state ranked last (37th) in the 2025 National Examinations Council (NECO) performance rating.
In a statement over the weekend , the Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Halima M. Bande, said the report was mischievous and intended to discredit the genuine reforms being implemented in the education sector under Governor Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu.
Bande explained that Kebbi State had stopped sponsoring public school students for NECO examinations since 2022, opting instead for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as its preferred examining body.
“For the past four years, public schools in Kebbi State have not participated in NECO examinations. Therefore, any attempt to rank Kebbi in NECO 2025 is baseless and lacks credibility,” she said.
The commissioner noted that only a handful of private schools in the state still register their students for NECO, stressing that their limited results could not serve as a fair yardstick to measure the overall performance of the state’s education sector.
“The criteria used in ranking Kebbi State last are inaccurate, faulty, and cannot stand. Since our public schools were not part of NECO, no genuine comparison can be made,” Bande stated.
She further emphasized Governor Idris’s pedigree as a teacher, unionist, and educationist who has made education a top priority of his administration. According to her, reforms, investments, and policies introduced under his leadership are already transforming schools across the state.
“The allegation that Kebbi State came last in NECO 2025 is false, unverified, and without factual basis. The public should disregard such fabrications,” she added.
Bande assured that Governor Idris remains committed to repositioning Kebbi State’s education sector, insisting that progress under his watch is visible, measurable, and impactful.
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