A total of 58,187 candidates on Saturday sat for the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) for admission into Federal Government Colleges across the country.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, stater this while speaking with journalists after monitoring the examination alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, in Abuja.
He said that female candidates accounted for the majority of registrations, with over 31,000 girls participating in the examination compared to about 26,000 boys.
Wushishi said the figure represented a decline from the 64,578 candidates who registered for the examination in 2025.
“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.
Speaking on the conduct of the examination, Wushishi said reports received from across the country indicated that the exercise was largely hitch-free.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination after monitoring the exercise at selected centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The minister, who visited Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Science Technical College, Garki; and Federal Government Boys College, Apo, commended the orderly arrangement of the examination and adherence to guidelines by candidates and officials.
Speaking to journalists after the monitoriing, Ahmad said the examination commenced on schedule and was being conducted in a peaceful and organised manner.
“We have been to three schools and I am happy with the conduct of the examinations in all the three schools.
The students are orderly, they are well seated, and the examination is ongoing. They started on time,” she said.
During the inspection, the team visited Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Science Technical College, Garki; and Federal Government Boys College, Apo.
