Abuja, June 6, 2026 – More than 58,000 pupils across Nigeria on Saturday participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), the qualifying test for admission into Federal Government Colleges.
The Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this while speaking to journalists after monitoring the exercise alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, in Abuja.
According to Wushishi, a total of 58,187 candidates registered and sat for the examination, representing a drop from the 64,578 candidates recorded in 2025.
He noted that female candidates outnumbered their male counterparts in this year’s registration figures, with over 31,000 girls registering for the examination compared to about 26,000 boys.
Wushishi attributed the development to ongoing efforts aimed at expanding access to education for girls across the country, saying the trend reflects growing progress in that area.
Providing an update on the conduct of the examination, he said reports received from various states indicated that the exercise proceeded smoothly without major challenges.
After inspecting several examination centres in the Federal Capital Territory, Ahmad expressed satisfaction with the overall organisation of the exercise.
She observed that candidates were properly seated, adequately supervised and commenced the examination as scheduled.
The minister also noted that the registration records she reviewed showed compliance with the stipulated age requirements for participation in the examination.
While commending the smooth conduct of the exercise, Ahmad raised concerns over the number of candidates absent from some centres.
She cited a case where about 18 registered candidates failed to appear for the examination in one hall and said efforts should be made to determine the reasons behind such absences.
The minister further stated that the centres visited were equipped with the facilities required for a successful examination and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening educational infrastructure nationwide.
Statistics from the examination showed significant variation in participation across states, with Taraba recording the lowest number of registered candidates at 15, while Lagos accounted for the highest figure with 13,228 candidates.
As part of the monitoring exercise, the minister and NECO officials visited Model Secondary School, Maitama, Government Science Technical College, Garki, and Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, where they assessed the conduct of the examination and compliance with established guidelines.