‘Dancing Governor’ Moves Osun From 33rd To 7th Position In NECO Ranking, Best in 18 Years

Osun State has recorded a major leap in education performance, moving from 33rd to 7th position in the National Examinations Council (NECO) ranking within just two years.

Governor Ademola Adeleke popularly referred to as the Dancing Governor announced this feat on Tuesday through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, describing it as a fulfilment of one of his core electoral promises to improve education in the state.

The newly released “Standard Educational Performance Ranking of States in 2024 SSCE” by NECO shows Osun achieving a remarkable academic comeback from its low rating in early 2022.

According to the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, the state recorded a 71% success rate, with 29,101 out of 41,264 candidates scoring five credits and above, including English and Mathematics.

This performance, the best Osun has achieved in 18 years, places it behind only Lagos, Kano, Oyo, Benue, Ogun, and Katsina in the latest national education ranking.

Gender-specific results show Osun’s female candidates outperforming the boys, ranking 6th nationally with approximately 72% success, while the male candidates came 10th with 69.2%.

Governor Adeleke praised the entire education sector team in the state, saying, “It is extraordinary to move from 33rd position to 7th within two years.”

He emphasized that the state is not resting on its achievements yet, noting that “my real target is number One and it is possible.”

The Governor attributed the success to ongoing reforms and investments in Osun’s education system, including support for state-owned universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Osun’s internal improvements are further validated by recent international and national recognitions in academic competitions and innovation.

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These include winning the Malaysia International Debate Competition for Nigeria in December 2024 and representing Africa at an AI and Robotics competition in Dallas in May 2025.

The state also came second in the National Sewing Competition and earned high marks in the National Education Loan Assessment Rating by NELFUND.

For this, Governor Adeleke received national commendation, reflecting the broader impact of the administration’s education-focused agenda.

On the future of the education sector, the Governor assured that recruitment of teachers and broader systemic reforms are being carefully planned to ensure financial sustainability.