The release of the 2026 National Examinations Council, NECO, results came after some universities had already set deadlines for candidates to upload their O’Level results, leaving students who depended on NECO caught between examination and admission calendars.
NECO released the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, Internal results on September 24, 2026, 63 days after the last paper was written on July 23. Of the 1,371,992 candidates who sat for the examination, 804,948, representing 58.67 per cent, obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
For candidates waiting for NECO results, the timing mattered because some universities had already set deadlines before the results became available.
Admission deadlines before NECO results
University of Lagos (UNILAG), announced on August 18 that the deadline for uploading WAEC, NECO, GCE and Cambridge O’Level results to both the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) and the university portal had been extended to August 24.
The notice, signed by Mrs V. Abosede Wickliffe, Registrar and Secretary to Council, warned that candidates whose O’Level results were not properly reflected on JAMB CAPS by the deadline would not be considered for admission.
That deadline came exactly one month before NECO released its 2026 results.
UNILAG’s admission notices reviewed by DAILY POST still show the August 24 O’Level upload deadline. No subsequent notice reopening that particular O’Level upload window for the 2026 NECO results was found among the notices reviewed.
Universities take different paths
At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), candidates who had previously indicated “Awaiting Result” were given another opportunity to upload their WAEC or NECO results.
A notice signed by the university’s Registrar, Dr (Mrs) C. N. Nnebedum, said candidates who had uploaded WAEC results but wished to replace them with NECO results, combine both results, or upload a result after previously indicating “Awaiting Result” were required to update and validate their records.
The deadline was midnight on September 30, 2026, the same day the university’s Post-UTME screening portal was scheduled to close.
At the University of Ilorin, the admission process also brought the issue closer to home for candidates and their families.
The university reopened its portal after the release of the NECO results for candidates who had been waiting to upload their results. The window ran from Monday, September 28, to Wednesday, September 30, at 11:59 p.m.
One parent, Adams Moses, from Minna, travelled to Ilorin with his son after learning that the portal had reopened. His son had already secured admission but was waiting for his NECO result to complete the process.
The parent said he personally confirmed at the university that the portal had opened on Monday evening and closed on Wednesday at 11:55 p.m.
According to him, “The trip meant additional transport expenses for my family, already dealing with the cost of securing admission. The government needs to look into this.”
The son eventually uploaded his NECO result and completed the process.
His experience showed the practical difficulties candidates faced when admission deadlines came before the release of their results.
The University of Abuja also reopened its 2026/2027 Post-UTME and Direct Entry screening portal until October 4.
In its September 25 notice, the university said the reopening followed the release of the 2026 NECO results and would enable affected candidates to complete their admission screening.
At the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), the Post-UTME screening deadline was extended by a further seven days after NECO released its results on September 24.
The university said the extension, which moved the deadline to October 4, would enable candidates who sat for NECO to upload their results and complete the screening process.
Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), also extended its 2026/2027 Post-UTME screening exercise by two weeks, moving the deadline from September 30 to October 14.
The university cited, among other difficulties, NECO token issues that had prevented some candidates from completing their applications.
Candidates caught in the gap
For students, the uncertainty was more than just a date on a portal.
Olakunle, a candidate affected by the waiting period, described the experience as “like sitting on a hot seat.”
“Omo, what happened caused tension for students awaiting NECO results, and that’s why the government needs to look into this to address the situation,” he said.
Another candidate, Mercy, said, “All I can say is that it wasn’t easy when you’ve gotten admission and the university is saying it is closing its portal, and you have a deficiency and are awaiting some results.”
The 2026 experience also fits into a longer pattern.
NECO’s recent result-release figures show that its results have consistently been released several weeks after the final examination paper.
The gap was 58 days in 2023, 55 days in 2024, 54 days in 2025 and 63 days in 2026.
The figures raise a practical question for the admission system: if examination results can take several weeks to become available, how should university admission calendars accommodate candidates who depend on those results?
Who coordinates the calendars?
NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, was asked about the issue when he announced the 2026 results in Minna on September 24.
He described it as “a pertinent question” that called for “sober reflection.”
The registrar said the matter was about “the value we attach to ourselves and our institutions” and “a question that questions our level of patriotism.”
Wushishi stated that NECO would not change its timetable and that the government institutions responsible for the admission system should address the issue.
“Because we feel that those in charge may not listen to us, we concluded that we should let our credibility speak for us,” he noted.
Wushishi also explained that the situation raised questions about “the care for Nigerian children.”
Yet, there is no publicly available figure showing how many candidates seeking admission in 2026 were specifically waiting for NECO results when university deadlines expired.
When contacted, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, said it did not currently keep data showing how many candidates were awaiting O’Level results or how many were specifically waiting for NECO results.
The board said such data could, however, be useful for planning.
It stated, “We don’t have such data. Maybe one of these days, I can suggest that we look at that. I believe it has some value in planning.”
The National President of the Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria, OPSAN, Prof. Uzochukwu Solomon Nwanonyuo, had earlier called for the suspension of the 2026/2027 tertiary admission process until all outstanding O’Level results were released.
Nwanonyuo made the call in a statement issued after an OPSAN stakeholders’ meeting in September, warning that continuing the admission process while some candidates were still awaiting results from examination bodies could disadvantage students who depended on those results.
A source familiar with the position of the National Universities Commission, NUC, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak officially, said the commission’s regulatory responsibilities focused largely on quality assurance, monitoring universities and accrediting programmes.
The source said the issue involved several stakeholders in the education sector, including examination bodies, JAMB and universities, and that the NUC would be better placed to respond formally if the matter were brought before it through the appropriate channel.
NECO results after admission deadlines: How candidates got caught between two calendars