No fewer than 58,187 candidates on Saturday participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination organised by the National Examinations Council for admission into Federal Government Colleges nationwide.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after monitoring the exercise alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, in Abuja.
Wushishi noted that the number marked a decrease from the 64,578 candidates who registered for the examination in 2025.
He further revealed that female candidates made up the larger percentage of registered candidates for the 2026 examination.
According to him, over 31,000 girls registered for the examination, while the number of male candidates stood at about 26,000.
“I think this reflects the efforts of the ministry in promoting girl-child education and shows that positive results are being achieved in that regard,” he said.
Commenting on the conduct of the examination, the NECO registrar stated that reports from different parts of the country indicated that the exercise was generally smooth and hitch-free.
After visiting three examination centres in Abuja, Ahmad expressed satisfaction with the arrangement and conduct of the exercise.
She stated that candidates conducted themselves orderly, were properly supervised and began the examination as scheduled.
“We have been to three schools and I am happy with the conduct of the examination in all the centres visited.
“The students are orderly, well seated and the examination started on time.
“I have also looked at the registration documents of the students and observed that the guidelines regarding the prescribed age bracket for the examination were adhered to,” she said.
The minister, however, raised concerns over the number of absent candidates recorded at some centres.
She disclosed that about 18 candidates were absent in one of the halls inspected and stressed the importance of finding out the reasons behind the development.
Ahmad also observed that the schools visited possessed adequate facilities for the smooth conduct of the examination and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Taraba State recorded the lowest number of registered candidates with 15, while Lagos State had the highest figure with 13,228 candidates.
During the monitoring exercise, the minister and NECO management team visited Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Science Technical College, Garki; and Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki.
