Abuja: No fewer than 64,000 candidates from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo on Saturday participated in the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Government Colleges. The examination is conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed satisfaction with the exercise after monitoring it at Model Secondary School, Maitama, and Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja. Ahmad noted the turnout of candidates reflected continued public trust in the Unity School system, with 30,000 male and 34,000 female candidates participating. She stated that Nigerians remain eager to have their children in Federal Government Colleges, as evidenced by the strong interest in Unity Colleges.
The NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, reported that Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with more than 15,000, while Togo had the lowest with 17. Wushishi highlighted the regional nature of the examination, with 109 candidates from Benin Republic and Togo combined participating, including Nigerian citizens residing there. He also noted that the examination faced no challenges, with materials arriving on time and the exam starting as scheduled.
The NECO boss acknowledged the inclusion of children with special needs, citing the provision of braille materials and support personnel during the examination. Additionally, Binta Abdulkadir, Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, stated that admissions into Unity Schools would be based on merit, state quota, and exigency, particularly for children of civil servants. Abdulkadir assured that final admissions would depend on the released results, with a commitment to a fair and inclusive process.
The examination, conducted annually, enables pupils to access Federal Government colleges, known as Unity Colleges, with admissions into the first term academic session set to begin after the release of the results.