The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected a report purportedly ranking the state among the lowest-performing states in the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) results, describing the publication as misleading and based on incomplete data.The State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, said the performance chart relied upon by the report was not an official document released by NECO and therefore could not be used to determine the state’s overall performance.
Umanah explained that although NECO released the 2026 examination results on September 24, 2026, results from 83 of the 214 examination centres operated by public schools in Akwa Ibom were still being processed.According to him, NECO is currently completing the sorting and verification of the statutory accreditation status of the affected centres.
He consequently described any attempt to rank Akwa Ibom’s performance at this stage as premature, noting that the outstanding results could significantly affect the state’s final position.The Commissioner also challenged the accuracy of the performance chart published by Premium Times, which reportedly placed Abia, Ebonyi and Ekiti States first, second and third respectively.He said the official NECO data available to the state identifies Kano, Lagos and Oyo as the first, second and third-ranked states.
Umanah urged media organisations to exercise greater diligence when reporting examination statistics, particularly when official results are still being processed.He reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Umo Eno’s administration to strengthening education under the ARISE Agenda, noting that more than ₦35 billion was provided for education in the 2026 Approved Budget.He added that ₦5.9 billion had been released to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for basic education intervention projects covering 2025 and 2026.According to the Commissioner, the state has also continued to construct model primary schools, pay student bursaries and cover examination fees for candidates sitting for Placement Examinations, BECE, NABTEB and WASSCE.Umanah further highlighted the governor’s interventions in supporting young people pursuing higher education, including recent approval for full overseas tuition for a young graduate seeking a master’s degree, as well as an earlier scholarship for a young law graduate from the Government Children’s Home to pursue postgraduate studies abroad.
He said the interventions demonstrate the administration’s commitment to expanding access to quality education and creating opportunities for young Akwa Ibom people.The Commissioner therefore urged members of the public to disregard the reported ranking and similar claims based on the disputed performance chart, stressing that they do not reflect the complete official NECO data.He advised the public to rely on verified information from NECO and other authoritative sources for accurate updates on the 2026 examination results.
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