President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lifted the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, restoring full democratic governance six months after suspending the Governor, Deputy Governor and State House of Assembly members.

In a statement on Tuesday, President Tinubu said the emergency, declared on 18 March 2025, had become “painfully inevitable” after a constitutional crisis paralysed governance in the state. He recalled that disputes between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly had left critical economic assets vulnerable and halted budget approvals.

Tinubu said his intervention under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution was to “arrest the drift towards anarchy” after mediation attempts failed. “Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State … it would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation,” he said.

The President thanked the National Assembly, traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their support throughout the emergency. He also acknowledged dissenters who challenged the declaration in court, saying such actions were “the way it should be in a democratic setting.”

Tinubu noted a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among stakeholders in Rivers State and said the conditions that necessitated the emergency no longer existed.

“With effect from midnight today, the emergency in Rivers State shall end,” he announced. “Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.”

He urged governors and state legislatures nationwide to prioritise harmony and peaceful governance. “It is only in an atmosphere of peace, order and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.

STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, ON THE CESSATION OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE

My Fellow countrymen and, in particular, the good people of Rivers State.

I am happy to address you today on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State. You will recall that on 18th March, 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in the state. In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration.

The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together.

Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised. The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups. Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor.

The latter group supported the Speaker. As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs. That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill.

Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State.

My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.

It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency.

The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025.

I thank the National Assembly, which, after critically evaluating the justification for the proclamation, took steps immediately, as required by the Constitution, to approve the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State.

I also thank our traditional rulers and the good people of Rivers State for their support from the date of the declaration of the state of emergency until now.

I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration.

That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the State to peace, order and security.

Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State, as shown in the judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputes between the Executive and the Legislative arm of Rivers State. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.

As a stakeholder in democratic governance, I believe that the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level.

The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.

I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance.

This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.

I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times.

I thank you all.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR
President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
State House, Abuja
September 17, 2025

The National Examinations Council (NECO) announced on Wednesday the release of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results at its headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

Professor Dantani Wushishi, NECO Registrar, revealed that 1,367,210 candidates registered for the exams, comprising 685,514 males and 681,696 females. Of these, 1,358,339 candidates—680,292 males and 678,047 females—actually sat for the examination.

On performance, the registrar stated that 818,492 candidates, representing 60.26%, obtained credit passes in at least five subjects including English Language and Mathematics. These credits are essential for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

This year’s pass rate aligns closely with recent trends, with 60% recorded in 2022, 61.60% in 2023, and 60.55% in 2024.

NECO also disclosed that 1,622 candidates with special needs participated in the exams. This included 941 with hearing impairment, 191 with visual impairment, 100 with albinism, 95 with autism, 110 with low vision, and 185 with Adermatoglyphia.

Regarding examination malpractice, the council reported a significant decrease, with 3,878 candidates caught cheating this year—a 61.5% reduction from the 10,094 cases recorded in 2024. In comparison, malpractice cases were 12,030 in 2023 and 13,595 in 2022.

Professor Wushishi commended NECO officials, supervisors, school owners, and education ministries across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for their support and cooperation throughout the examination process.

See brief below:

NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL (NECO) PRESS BRIEFING ON THE RELEASE OF 2025 SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (SSCE) INTERNAL RESULTS, HELD ON WEDNESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER, 2025 AT THE CONFERENCE HALL, NECO HEADQUARTERS, MINNA, NIGER STATE.

BY

PROFESSOR DANTANI IBRAHIM WUSHISHI

REGISTRAR/CHIEF EXECUTIVE

PROTOCOL

1.0 It is with immense gratitude and a deep sense of duty that I address you today on the occasion of the release of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal results. This milestone not only marks the culmination of a rigorous assessment process, but also a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to quality education, merit, integrity, and national development. I feel highly honoured to welcome you all to this briefing, on behalf of the Management and Staff of the National Examinations Council (NECO).

2.0 I wish to begin by extending my profound gratitude to His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Your leadership, vision and unwavering commitment to educational excellence have created the enabling environment in which institutions like NECO can strive for higher standards, transparency, and accountability. Your support fuels our drive to deliver fair, credible, and timely results for our nation’s students. This is a demonstration of the renewed hope for Nigeria’s education system.

3.0 I also wish to extend our sincere appreciation to the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, as well as the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan. We are indeed grateful for your steadfast collaboration and decisive leadership in policy direction, resource mobilisation, and the successful implementation of reforms that underpin our assessment systems. Your efforts ensure that our examinations reflect accurately the learning outcomes we seek to certify and that they remain aligned with national aspirations. We want to assure you of our readiness to always key in to your noble objectives.

4.0 To the esteemed members of the National Assembly, particularly the Chairman, Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), Distinguished Senator Lawal Adamu Usman and other members, the Chairman House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Honourable Oboku A. Oforji and other members, as well as the Chairman, Basic Education Services. Honourable Mark Bako Useni and other Members – we say a big thank you for your oversight, guidance and unwavering commitment to the advancement of Nigeria’s educational Sector.

5.0 Our sincere gratitude and appreciation also go to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – Niger, Kwara, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara States, the State Universal Basic Education Board in Nigeria (SUBEB) – Niger, Kaduna and Gombe States, the Yobe State Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) –Plateau and Borno States, for logistical support.

6.0 We also recognize the essential role of our Security Operatives – the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and those of the Department of State Services (DSS) – whose vigilance protects the sanctity of the examination process. Your tireless work in securing venues, preventing malpractices, and ensuring a safe environment for both candidates and staff is invaluable.

7.0 To our friends from the fourth estate of the realm, we thank you for your collaborative effort and for your commitment to highlighting the importance of education in our Society, and the extensive coverage of NECO activities. Specifically, we want to extend our special appreciation to Verbatim Magazine, The Sun Newspaper and other reputable media organizations for the special award and recognition to NECO.

8.0 Special appreciation goes to our exceptional Staff. The smooth release of the 2025 SSCE (Internal) results is a testament to your professionalism, discipline and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Your intellectual rigour, meticulous attention to quality, and commitment to ethical standards have ensured that we deliver results that are credible and trusted by students, institutions, and the public. You have performed admirably under challenging circumstances where hope is almost dashed by Stakeholders in the education sector on examination bodies, and you should take pride in this achievement. Your collective effort was what led to the conduct of the most successful examination in recent times, which drew the admiration and commendation of the Honourable Minister of Education, Members of the National Assembly, as well as many other Stakeholders.

9.0 To our dear students who have achieved such great feats: you represent the bright future of our nation. Your perseverance, curiosity, and dedication to learning are the reasons we exist as an institution. While some results reflect outstanding performance, others highlight opportunities for growth. We congratulate you all.

10.0 The 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) was conducted from Monday 16th June to Friday 25th July, 2025, while the Marking Exercise took place from Thursday 14th to Sunday 31st August, 2025. Today makes it exactly 54 days after the last written paper, which signifies that all the processes leading to the successful release of the 2025 SSCE (Internal) results have been concluded. It is instructive to note that effort was made to reach out to all Universities and other Higher Institutions to ensure that they wait until the results from all examination bodies are released before releasing their admissions, so as not to exclude a very large number of candidates from gaining admission into their institutions of choice. We therefore want to call on all regulating bodies, such as JAMB, to ensure that all institutions comply with their directives.

11.0 Distinguished guests, gentlemen of the Press, my dear colleagues, may I, at this juncture, crave your indulgence to release the highlights of the results, as follows:

1. a) Number of candidates that registered for the examination is 1,367,210 representing 685,514 Males and 681,696 Females.
2. b) Number of candidates that sat is 1,358,339 representing 680,292 Males and 678,047 females.
3. c) Number of candidates with five Credits and above, including Mathematics and English is 818,492 representing 60.26%.
4. d) Number of candidates with five Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English is 1,144,496 representing 84.26%.
5. e) Number of candidates with special needs is 1,622 with the breakdown as follows:

(i) Candidates with hearing impairment – 586 Males and 355 Females

(ii) Candidates with visual impairment – 111 Males and 80 Females

(iii) Candidates with Albinism – 47 Males and 53 Females

(iv) Candidates with Autism – 62 Males and 33 Females

(v) Candidates with low vision – 55 Males and 55 Females

(vi) Candidates with Adermatoglyphia – 89 Males and 96 Females

(vii) Number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractice in 2025 is 3,878, as against 10,094 in 2024, which shows a reduction of 61.58%

12.0 For more details about the results please see the following tables (attached).

1. Tables 1 and 2 – performance of candidates by subject.
2. Tables 3 A and B – Analysis of candidates’ performance by States (Five

Credits and above, including Mathematics and English and Five Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English

3. Table 4 – Standard Educational Performance ranking of States (Males and Females) 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English
4. Table 5 – Male Standard Educational performance ranking of States, 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
5. Table 6 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking of States, 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
6. Table 7 – Standard Educational Performance Ranking of States, 5 Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English.
7. Table 8 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking of States, 5 Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English.
8. Table 9 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking of States, 5 Credits and above irrespective of Mathematics and English.
9. Table 10 – Standard Educational Performance ranking by Geo-political Zone, 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
10. Table 11 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking by Geo-political Zone, 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English
11. Table 12 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking by Geo-political zone, 5 Credits and above including Mathematics and English
12. Table 13 – Standard Educational Performance ranking (North Central Zone), 5 Credits and above, including English and Mathematics.
13. Table 14 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking (North Central Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
14. Table 15 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking (North Central Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
15. Table 16 – Standard Educational Performance ranking (North East Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
16. Table 17 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking (North East Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
17. Table 18 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking (North East Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
18. Table 19 – Standard Educational Performance ranking (North West Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
19. Table 20 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking (North West Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
20. Table 21 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking (North West Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
21. Table 22 – Standard Educational Performance ranking (South East Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
22. Table 23 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking (South East Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
23. Table 24 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking (South East Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
24. Table 25 – Standard Educational Performance ranking (South South Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
25. Table 26 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking (South South Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
26. Table 27 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking (South South Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
27. Table 28 – Standard Educational Performance ranking (South West Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
28. Table 29 – Male Standard Educational Performance ranking (South West Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
29. Table 30 – Female Standard Educational Performance ranking (South West Zone), 5 Credits and above, including Mathematics and English.
30. Table 31 – Comparison of malpractice by Type, 2024 and 2025 SSCE (Internal).
31. Table 32 – Analysis of Malpractice cases by Subject by Type, 2025 SSCE (Internal).
32. Table 33 – Malpractice by Type, 2025 SSCE (Internal).

During the conduct of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), 38 schools were found to have been involved in whole school (Mass) cheating in 13 States. They will be invited to the Council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.

Similarly, nine (9) Supervisors: 03 in Rivers, 01 in Niger, 03 in FCT, 01 in Kano and 01 in Osun States were recommended for blacklisting due to poor Supervision, Aiding and Abetting, Lateness, Unruly behavior, Assault, and Insubordination.

13.0 I wish to also draw your attention to a case in Lamorde Local Government, Adamawa State involving eight (08) Schools which were affected by a communal clash resulting in the disruption of our examinations from 7th to 25th July, 2025. A total of thirteen (13) Subjects and twenty-nine (29) Papers were involved.

We have since commenced talks with the State Government with a view to conducting the examinations for the affected Schools. This means that the results of the eight affected Schools cannot be released now, because they are incomplete.

At this juncture, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to formally declare that the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal results are hereby released to the public. By this release, candidates can access their results on NECO website: www.neco.gov.ng, using their examination registration numbers.

I thank you all for your attention.

Prof. DANTANI IBRAHIM WUSHISHI

REGISTRAR/CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The Chairman of Afriland Properties Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu, has abruptly ended his trip to New York for the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) following a devastating fire at Afriland Towers in Lagos that claimed the lives of several staff members.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Elumelu expressed profound sorrow over the incident, describing the loss as heartbreaking for the Afriland family.

He wrote, “I am shattered by yesterday’s devastating incident at Afriland Towers, that took the lives of our dear colleagues. No words can capture the magnitude of this loss – not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them.”

Elumelu revealed that he was en route to New York when he received news of the tragedy, prompting his immediate return to Lagos as a mark of respect to the departed staff.

“As we navigate this grief, I urge you all to reach out to those who are receiving care. In the coming days, we will convene colleagues in a memorial to honour the memories of the departed, as we provide support to their families,” he added.

He also thanked emergency responders, first aid workers, and members of the public for their swift and compassionate response to the disaster.

To honour the victims, a minute of silence will be observed at 12:00 noon on Wednesday across all companies within the Tony Elumelu Group.