The timing of the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) results has left some Nigerian university admission seekers struggling to meet institutional deadlines, raising concerns about the coordination of examination schedules and tertiary admission calendars.
While some universities closed their portals for the upload of O’Level results weeks before NECO released its results, others reopened their screening platforms or extended deadlines to accommodate affected candidates.
The development exposed a recurring challenge for students who depend on NECO results to complete their admission requirements, with some families incurring additional expenses to ensure their children did not miss out on admission opportunities.
NECO released the results of its 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal on September 24, 63 days after candidates wrote the final paper 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.
However, the release came after some universities had already set deadlines for candidates to upload their O’Level results to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Central Admissions Processing System (JAMB CAPS) and institutional portals.
UNILAG deadline expired before results release
At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the deadline for uploading WAEC, NECO, GCE and Cambridge O’Level results was extended to August 24.
The university announced the extension on August 18 in a notice signed by its Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mrs V. Abosede Wickliffe.
The notice warned that candidates whose O’Level results were not properly reflected on JAMB CAPS by the deadline would not be considered for admission.
However, the deadline expired exactly one month before NECO released its 2026 results.
Notices reviewed by DAILY POST showed that August 24 remained the stated deadline, with no subsequent notice reopening that particular upload window for candidates awaiting the 2026 NECO results.
The timing created difficulties for candidates who could not provide results that were yet to be released.
Universities adopt different approaches
While some candidates faced uncertainty over expired deadlines, other institutions adjusted their admission arrangements after NECO announced the results.
At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), candidates who had previously indicated that their results were awaiting release were given another opportunity to update their records.
A notice signed by the university’s Registrar, Dr C. N. Nnebedum, directed candidates who wanted to replace previously uploaded WAEC results with NECO results, combine both results or upload results after selecting the “Awaiting Result” option to update and validate their records.
The deadline was midnight on September 30, the same day the university’s Post-UTME screening portal was scheduled to close.
The University of Ilorin also reopened its admission portal from September 28 to September 30 for candidates who had been waiting for their NECO results.
For Adams Moses, a parent from Minna, the brief reopening meant travelling to Ilorin with his son to complete the admission process.
Moses said his son had already secured admission but needed his NECO result to finalise the process.
According to him, he personally confirmed that the portal had opened on Monday evening and closed on Wednesday night.
“The trip meant additional transport expenses for my family, already dealing with the cost of securing admission. The government needs to look into this,” he said.
His son eventually uploaded the result and completed the process.
The experience highlighted the additional financial and logistical burdens that families may face when admission deadlines do not align with examination result schedules.
The University of Abuja also reopened its 2026/2027 Post-UTME and Direct Entry screening portal until October 4.
In a notice issued on September 25, the institution said the decision followed the release of the 2026 NECO results and was intended to enable affected candidates to complete their admission screening.
Similarly, the Federal University of Lafia extended its Post-UTME screening deadline by seven days to October 4, allowing candidates who sat for NECO to upload their results.
Nasarawa State University, Keffi, also extended its 2026/2027 Post-UTME screening exercise by two weeks, moving the deadline from September 30 to October 14.
The university cited several challenges, including NECO token-related issues that had prevented some candidates from completing their applications.
Although the extensions offered relief to some applicants, the differing approaches adopted by universities meant candidates faced different deadlines and opportunities depending on their chosen institutions.
Candidates recount anxiety
For students caught between the examination and admission calendars, the uncertainty went beyond the inconvenience of checking portals or meeting deadlines. It raised concerns about the possibility of losing admission opportunities because the required results were unavailable in time.
One affected candidate, Olakunle, 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 the situation was particularly difficult for applicants who had secured admission but were still waiting for results needed to complete the process.
“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,” she said.
Their accounts point to the uncertainty candidates can experience when admission requirements must be fulfilled within deadlines that precede the release of their examination results.
A recurring problem
The 2026 experience has renewed questions about whether tertiary admission calendars adequately account for the time required by examination bodies to process and release results.
Figures cited in the report show that the interval between the final examination paper and the release of NECO results was 58 days in 2023, 55 days in 2024, 54 days in 2025 and 63 days in 2026.
The latest interval was therefore longer than those recorded in the preceding three years.
The recurring gap raises a practical question for the education sector: how should universities set admission deadlines when some candidates may still be waiting for results required to complete their applications?
NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, addressed the issue while announcing the 2026 results in Minna on September 24.
He described it as “a pertinent question” that called for “sober reflection”.
Wushishi said the issue concerned “the value we attach to ourselves and our institutions” and “a question that questions our level of patriotism”.
He maintained that NECO would not change its timetable, arguing that the institutions responsible for the admission system should address the problem.
“Because we feel that those in charge may not listen to us, we concluded that we should let our credibility speak for us,” he said.
He also raised concerns about “the care for Nigerian children”.
JAMB lacks data on affected candidates
Despite reports of candidates facing difficulties, the number of applicants affected by the timing of the NECO results remains unknown.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) told DAILY POST that it did not currently maintain data showing how many candidates were awaiting O’Level results or how many were specifically waiting for NECO results.
The board, however, acknowledged that such information could be useful for planning.
“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,” it said.
The absence of such data makes it difficult to determine the scale of the problem or establish how many candidates may have been unable to complete admission requirements before institutional deadlines expired.
The Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria (OPSAN) has called for the suspension of the 2026/2027 tertiary admission process until all outstanding O’Level results are released.
The association’s National President, Professor Uzochukwu Solomon Nwanonyuo, made the call in a statement following a stakeholders’ meeting in September.
He warned that continuing the admission process while some candidates were still awaiting results from examination bodies could disadvantage applicants who depended on those results.
Meanwhile, 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, including examination bodies, JAMB and universities, adding that the NUC would be better placed to respond formally if the matter were brought before it through the appropriate channel.
Need for better coordination
The different responses adopted by universities suggest that some institutions were able to accommodate candidates who received their NECO results after initial deadlines, while others had no publicly identified reopening of the relevant upload window.
For affected students and their families, the consequences can include anxiety, extra travel expenses and uncertainty over whether admission requirements can be completed on time.
The lack of data on the number of affected candidates also limits the ability of education authorities to assess the scale of the problem and plan for future admission cycles.
With NECO results taking several weeks to become available after examinations, closer coordination among examination bodies, JAMB and universities could help reduce the risk of candidates being disadvantaged by conflicting schedules.
