By Joseph Erunke
The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), describing the exercise as orderly, credible and well-coordinated across the country.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, gave the assessment on Saturday after monitoring the examination at Model Secondary School, Maitama; Federal Government Boys College, Apo; and Federal Government Technical College, Garki, all in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, the minister commended the National Examinations Council, NECO, for ensuring a hitch-free exercise, noting that candidates adhered to examination guidelines and that officials demonstrated professionalism in the conduct of the examination.
“We have been to three schools and I’m happy with the conduct of the exams in all the three schools. The students are orderly, they are well seated, the examination is ongoing, and they started on time,” she said.
According to the minister, checks on registration records showed that candidates complied with the approved age bracket of 10 to 12 years, reinforcing confidence in the integrity of the admission process into Federal Unity Colleges.
She also praised the adequacy of examination personnel and the conducive environment provided for candidates.
“The venues are well arranged with proper invigilators, and the number of invigilators is adequate. Generally, I’m happy with the conduct of the examination. It is a well-organised exercise,” she stated.
Despite the positive assessment, Prof. Ahmad expressed concern over the number of registered candidates who failed to appear for the examination.
She disclosed that officials recorded as many as 18 absent candidates in one examination hall, describing the figure as significant and deserving of further investigation.
“We observed that there are a number of students absent from the examination. In one of the halls, we had about 18 students absent. We need to look into the factors responsible because that is quite a high number,” she said.
The minister stressed that understanding the reasons behind the absenteeism would be important in improving future participation rates.
Prof. Ahmad also used the occasion to reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in schools across the country.
She noted that the schools visited were adequately equipped with furniture and facilities necessary for effective teaching, learning and examination administration.
“The government is always working to ensure that we have proper infrastructure available for effective teaching and learning,” she said.
Providing a nationwide overview of the exercise, NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed that 58,187 candidates registered for the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination.
The figure represents a decline from the 64,578 candidates recorded in 2025.
Wushishi, however, highlighted a significant milestone in female participation, revealing that girls accounted for the majority of candidates this year.
“Female candidates are over 31,000, while male candidates are about 26,000. This is an indication of the efforts of the ministry in promoting girl-child education,” he said.
According to him, the trend demonstrates that government interventions aimed at improving access to education for girls are beginning to yield measurable results.
The NECO Registrar expressed optimism that the smooth conduct witnessed in Abuja would be replicated across all examination centres nationwide.
“You have heard the Honourable Minister say the schools we visited are hitch-free. That is our expectation all over the country,” Wushishi stated.
The National Common Entrance Examination serves as the gateway for admission into Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as Unity Schools, and remains one of Nigeria’s most competitive examinations for primary school leavers.
