Akwa Ibom Information Commissioner Rejects Report Ranking State Among Lowest in 2026 NECO Results
By Fact Harbour News
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, has rejected a report circulating on social media which purportedly placed Akwa Ibom among the lowest-performing states in the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) results.
Umanah described the report as misleading, arguing that the performance chart on which the report was based did not represent official data released by NECO.
According to the commissioner, the 2026 NECO results were released on September 24, but the performance chart published by Premium Times was not an official NECO document.
He said the discrepancy was particularly evident in the positions reportedly assigned to some states. While the circulated report listed Abia, Ebonyi and Ekiti as the first, second and third-performing states respectively, Umanah said the official NECO data available to the state government identifies Kano, Lagos and Oyo as the first, second and third states.
The commissioner also disclosed that the results of candidates from 83 out of 214 examination centres involving public schools in Akwa Ibom had not been released at the time of his statement.
He explained that the outstanding results were reportedly connected to the ongoing sorting and verification of the accreditation status of the affected examination centres by NECO.
Umanah consequently argued that drawing conclusions about the overall performance of Akwa Ibom State before the outstanding results are released would be premature.
He said the results from the affected centres could alter the eventual assessment of the state’s performance when the complete data becomes available.
The commissioner called on media organisations to exercise caution when reporting examination statistics, particularly where examination authorities have not completed the release and verification of results.
He also urged residents to rely on information from authoritative sources when assessing the performance of the state in national examinations.
The controversy comes amid renewed public interest in the performance of states following the release of the 2026 NECO results.
Umanah used the opportunity to highlight the state government’s investment in the education sector under Governor Umo Eno’s administration.
He said education remains one of the priorities of the administration’s ARISE Agenda, adding that more than ₦35 billion was provided for the sector in the state’s 2026 Approved Budget.
According to him, the government has also released ₦5.9 billion to the State Universal Basic Education Board for basic education intervention projects covering 2025 and 2026.
The commissioner said the administration had continued to invest in educational infrastructure, including the construction of model primary schools across the state.
He added that the government had provided bursaries to students and supported the payment of examination fees for candidates participating in the Placement Examination, Basic Education Certificate Examination, National Business and Technical Examinations Board examinations and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
Beyond basic and secondary education, Umanah pointed to government support for young people pursuing higher education.
He cited the recent approval of full overseas tuition support for a young graduate seeking to pursue a master’s degree abroad. He also referred to an earlier scholarship awarded to a young law graduate from the Government Children’s Home to enable her undertake a master’s degree overseas.
The commissioner said such interventions were part of the administration’s broader effort to improve access to education and create opportunities for young people in the state.
He maintained that the government remained committed to strengthening the education sector through infrastructure, financial support and other interventions.
Umanah therefore advised members of the public to disregard claims that rely on the disputed performance chart and to await complete and verified examination data before drawing conclusions about the state’s overall performance.
The commissioner also encouraged residents to obtain examination information directly from NECO and other recognised official channels to avoid relying on unverified statistics circulating online.
As the release of outstanding results continues, the eventual performance of Akwa Ibom candidates across the affected examination centres will provide additional data for assessing the state’s 2026 NECO performance.
