In a major turnaround for education in the Land of Virtue ( Osun State), the state has climbed to 7th place in the latest national examination rankings, a significant jump from its 33rd position just two years ago.
The data, released in a report titled “Standard Educational Performance Ranking of States in 2024 SSCE” by the National Examinations Council (NECO), placed Osun among the top-performing states in the Senior School Certificate Examination.
Out of 41,264 candidates who sat for the exam, 29,101 students from Osun earned a minimum of five credits, including English and Mathematics, translating to a success rate of approximately 71%. This marks the state’s best performance in nearly two decades.
In gender-specific rankings, Osun’s female candidates secured 6th place nationally with around 72% success, while their male counterparts ranked 10th with 69.2%.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who had pledged during his 2022 campaign to raise Osun’s educational standing to a single-digit ranking, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, describing it as evidence of the administration’s efforts.
“I promised to improve our education sector, and today we are seeing the results. Moving from 33rd to 7th in two years is a massive shift. We’re not done yet — my goal is to take Osun to the top,” Adeleke stated.
The governor also praised educators and education officials for their roles in the achievement, urging continued focus and reforms across all tiers of education in the state.
Governor Adeleke reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving tertiary institutions across the state, including Osun State University, the University of Ilesa, and state-owned polytechnics and colleges of education.
He also addressed pending issues such as the recruitment of teachers, assuring the public that the government is managing resources carefully to prevent financial strains.
The report and the state’s accomplishments were confirmed by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole.
