A total of 58,187 pupils across Nigeria participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) on Saturday, the qualifying examination for admission into Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as Unity Schools.
The Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this while monitoring the examination alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, at selected centres in Abuja.
The Federal Government expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination, describing the exercise as orderly, credible and well-coordinated nationwide.
Speaking after inspecting examination centres at Model Secondary School, Maitama; Federal Government Boys College, Apo; and Federal Government Technical College, Garki, Prof. Ahmad commended NECO for ensuring a smooth and hitch-free process.
She noted that candidates complied with examination regulations and that officials demonstrated professionalism throughout the exercise.
“We have been to three schools and I am happy with the conduct of the examination in all of them. The students are orderly, properly seated, and the examination commenced on schedule,” she said.
The minister revealed that checks on registration records showed that candidates largely fell within the approved age range of 10 to 12 years, a development she said strengthens the integrity of admissions into Unity Schools.
She also praised the adequate deployment of invigilators and the conducive examination environment provided for candidates.
Despite the generally positive assessment, Ahmad expressed concern over the level of absenteeism recorded in some centres. According to her, as many as 18 candidates were absent in one examination hall visited during the monitoring exercise.
She said the government would investigate the reasons behind the absences to improve participation in future examinations.
The minister further reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure nationwide, noting that the schools visited were adequately equipped with furniture and other facilities necessary for effective teaching, learning and examination administration.
Providing an overview of the nationwide exercise, Prof. Wushishi disclosed that the 58,187 candidates who registered for the examination represented a decline from the 64,578 candidates recorded in 2025.
He, however, highlighted a significant increase in female participation, stating that more than 31,000 girls registered for the examination compared to about 26,000 boys.
According to him, the development reflects the positive impact of government initiatives aimed at promoting girl-child education across the country.
Wushishi expressed optimism that the orderly conduct observed in Abuja would be replicated in examination centres nationwide.
The National Common Entrance Examination remains one of Nigeria’s most competitive entrance examinations, serving as the gateway into the country’s Federal Government Colleges.
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