Kebbi State Rejects NECO Ranking, Says Many Schools Use WAEC Since 2022

Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State — Kebbi State Government has formally rejected a recently circulated ranking of public secondary schools based on NECO results, labelling it false and misleading. According to the state’s Commissioner for Education, the ranking fails to account for a significant number of public schools in Kebbi that have used WAEC (West African Examinations Council) as their examination body since 2022.

In a statement released over the weekend, the commissioner stated that the comparison of Kebbi schools with other states purely on the basis of NECO outcomes ignores the fact that many of its public schools no longer sit NECO exams. As a result, the ranking gives an unfair impression of underperformance.

The Education Ministry of Kebbi emphasised that several public secondary schools made the switch to WAEC due to perceived alignment of curricula, broader recognition, or other administrative reasons. The commissioner argued that without clarifying which schools are using which exam body, data-based rankings by NECO alone can distort public perception.

Although no official list has been published publicly showing all schools that have shifted to WAEC in Kebbi, local educational authorities say the number is sizeable. Some parents and teachers report confusion: schools that once prepared students for NECO now use WAEC syllabi, which may have different grading standards or performance metrics, but media reports still include them in state NECO ranking league tables.

Context & Reactions

Media ranks of states’ performance in national exam results are often shared widely on social media and even in mainstream outlets. However, both WAEC and NECO have previously disclaimed responsibility for producing state‐performance league tables, stating that such reports sometimes misinterpret raw data. For example, WAEC has said in past years that it does not officially rank states by performance.

In Kebbi, the response from the public includes mixed reactions. Some parents appreciate the state’s clarification, saying they felt the ranking embarrassed schools and students. Others argue that whether using NECO or WAEC, what matters is student performance, teaching quality, facilities and support.

Educational analysts note that exam Body choice (NECO vs WAEC) can affect comparisons: different exams often have different difficulty levels, curricula coverage, and grading rigor. Hence, comparing “states using NECO only” versus “states mixing or using different bodies” without disclosing that can mislead.

Implications

The Kebbi situation highlights three important issues:

1. Transparency in data presentation: Ranking, when done, must clearly disclose which schools are using which exam body to avoid unfair comparison.
2. Policy shifts: If more schools move from NECO to WAEC, this could lead to demands for curriculum alignment, teacher retraining, and recognition policies.
3. Public trust: False or misleading rankings damage public confidence in education systems and can demoralize students and teachers. Kebbi’s rebuttal may prompt other states to demand correction of rankings that misrepresent them.