Info Commissioner Dismisses Fake Report on NECO Rating of Akwa Ibom

Info Commissioner Dismisses Fake Report on NECO Rating of Akwa Ibom

…Says State Investing Heavily in Education, Results for 83 of 214 Exam Centres Yet to be Released

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, has dismissed as false and misleading a report making the rounds in the social media purporting to rank Akwa Ibom State among the lowest-performing states in the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) results.

Umanah said the report was based on an inaccurate performance chart which does not represent the official data released by NECO.

The Commissioner explained that although the 2026 NECO results were released on September 24, 2026, the performance chart published by Premium Times was not an official NECO document, contrary to the impression created by the publication.

He noted that while the report listed Abia, Ebonyi and Ekiti States as occupying the first, second and third positions respectively, the official NECO data identifies Kano, Lagos and Oyo States as the first, second and third positions.

Umanah further disclosed that the results of 83 out of 214 examination centres of public schools in Akwa Ibom State are yet to be released by NECO, as the examination body is still concluding the sorting and verification of the statutory accreditation status of the affected centres.

He therefore described any attempt to rank or assess the overall performance of Akwa Ibom State at this stage as premature and misleading, stressing that the outstanding results could affect the final state-level assessment.

The Commissioner said the State Government expected media organisations to exercise greater diligence in reporting examination statistics, particularly where official results are still being processed.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of Governor Umo Eno to education, noting that the sector remains a major priority of the ARISE Agenda.

According to him, the 2026 Approved Budget provides more than ₦35 billion for education, while ₦5.9 billion has been released to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for basic education intervention projects for 2025 and 2026.

He added that the administration has continued to invest in the construction of model primary schools across the State to provide pupils with more conducive learning environments. The Government has also paid bursaries to students and undertaken the payment of examination fees for candidates sitting for Placement Examination, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) Examination and WASSCE.

Beyond infrastructure and institutional support, Umanah said Governor Umo Eno had continued to provide direct support to young people pursuing higher education.

He cited the Governor’s recent approval of full overseas tuition support for a young graduate to pursue a Master’s degree abroad, as well as an earlier scholarship awarded to a young law graduate from the Government Children’s Home to enable her pursue a Master’s degree overseas.

The Commissioner said these interventions demonstrated the administration’s commitment to expanding access to quality education and creating opportunities for young Akwa Ibom people to pursue their academic and professional aspirations.

Umanah consequently urged members of the public to disregard the Premium Times publication and similar claims based on the purported performance chart, noting that they do not reflect the official NECO data currently available.

He advised the public to rely on verified and authoritative sources, particularly information released by the National Examinations Council, for accurate updates on the 2026 examination results.