NECO Reports Decline as 58,187 Candidates Sit 2026 Common Entrance Examination

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced that 58,187 candidates participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Government Colleges across Nigeria.

The figure represents a decline when compared to the 64,578 candidates who registered for the same examination in 2025, according to NECO Registrar, Professor Ibrahim Wushishi.

Professor Wushishi disclosed this while briefing journalists after monitoring the examination in Abuja alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad. He noted that female candidates made up the majority of this year’s participants, with more than 31,000 girls registering for the examination compared to approximately 26,000 boys.

According to the registrar, the growing number of female candidates reflects ongoing efforts to promote girl-child education and increase educational opportunities for young girls across the country.

Reports received from various examination centres nationwide indicated that the exercise was conducted smoothly, with minimal challenges recorded. Monitoring teams observed that candidates were orderly, adequately supervised, and commenced the examination according to schedule.

Speaking after visiting selected examination centres in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education expressed satisfaction with the overall conduct of the examination. She commended the organisation of the exercise and noted that examination guidelines, including age requirements for candidates, were properly followed.

Despite the generally successful conduct of the examination, the minister raised concerns about the number of absentee candidates observed in some centres. She emphasized the need to investigate the reasons behind the absences to ensure greater participation in future examinations.

The minister also praised the availability of facilities at the centres visited and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure across the country. She stressed that adequate learning environments remain essential for effective teaching and learning.

Data released by NECO showed that Lagos State recorded the highest number of candidates, with 13,228 registrations, while Taraba State had the lowest number, with only 15 candidates registered for the examination.

Education stakeholders have described the examination as an important step in the admission process into Nigeria’s Federal Unity Colleges. The successful conduct of the exercise reflects continued efforts by education authorities to maintain standards and ensure fairness in the country’s basic education system.

As NECO concludes the examination phase, attention will now shift to the release of results and the admission process into Federal Government Colleges for the 2026 academic session.