The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced that 58,187 candidates participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination conducted for admission into Federal Government Colleges across Nigeria.
The figure represents a decline compared to the 64,578 candidates who registered for the same examination in 2025, according to NECO officials.
The disclosure was made by the Registrar of the National Examinations Council, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, after monitoring the examination exercise in Abuja alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad.
Female Candidates Outnumber Male Registrants
NECO revealed that female candidates accounted for the larger share of registrations for the 2026 examination.
According to the council, more than 31,000 girls registered for the entrance examination, while male candidates accounted for about 26,000 registrations.
Officials described the development as a positive indicator of growing participation in girl-child education across the country.
Examination Conducted Smoothly Across Nigeria
The examination body reported that the nationwide exercise was largely successful, with no major disruptions recorded in most centres.
Following monitoring visits to selected schools in Abuja, education officials expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the examination process.
Authorities noted that candidates were properly seated, supervised, and commenced their examinations on schedule.
Education Minister Raises Concern Over Absentee Candidates
Despite the generally smooth conduct of the examination, the Minister of State for Education expressed concern about the number of absent candidates observed at some centres.
She disclosed that one examination hall recorded about 18 absentee candidates and stressed the need to determine the reasons behind their absence.
The minister also commended examination officials and school administrators for maintaining order during the exercise.
Lagos Records Highest Turnout, Taraba Lowest
Data released after the examination showed significant differences in candidate turnout across states.
While Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with 13,228 participants, Taraba State had the lowest figure with just 15 registrations.
The examination monitoring team visited several centres, including schools located in Maitama and Garki districts of Abuja.
What This Means for Federal Government College Admissions
The National Common Entrance Examination remains the primary pathway for admission into Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as Unity Schools.
Education stakeholders are expected to closely monitor the results and admission process in the coming months as successful candidates compete for placement into the schools.