The Katsina government says 29,633 students passed the 2024 National Examination Council (NECO) examination with five credits and above, including Mathematics and English.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Zainab Musa-Musawa, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Katsina on Tuesday.

“While it is true that the state’s performance in the 2024 NECO exams shows room for improvement, the NECO report also highlights several key areas where the state excelled.

“Notably, Katsina State ranked sixth nationally in the number of students who passed the exam with five credits and above, including Mathematics and English.

“This is a staggering achievement, with 29,633 students meeting this critical benchmark—more than in at least 30 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja,” she stated.

The commissioner added, “In contrast, some states recorded fewer than 10,000 students who passed with five credits, including Mathematics and English.” 

She pointed out that the 29,633 successful candidates from Katsina were more than enough to fill the state’s quota in universities and other tertiary institutions for the 2024/2025 academic session.

Ms Musa-Musawa said the figure represented a significant increase from the 25,152 candidates who met the same benchmark in 2023, reflecting a remarkable growth of approximately 17.8 per cent.

“The administration of Governor Dikko Radda, a former teacher himself, has been proactive in addressing the challenges facing the education sector, many of which were inherited from previous governments,” she said. “Upon assuming office, Governor Radda made history with the single largest teacher recruitment drive in the state, employing 7,325 teachers within just three months of his administration.”

(NAN)