NECO Records Drop As 58,187 Candidates Participate In 2026 Common Entrance Examination

No fewer than 58,187 candidates participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) for admission into Federal Government Colleges across Nigeria.

According to Ireporter Online, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing journalists after monitoring the examination alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad.

Wushishi noted that the figure represents a decline when compared to the 64,578 candidates recorded in the 2025 edition of the examination. He, however, revealed that female candidates outnumbered their male counterparts in this year’s exercise, with over 31,000 females registered against about 26,000 males.

He attributed the development to ongoing efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to promote girl-child education, expressing optimism that such initiatives are yielding positive results.

The NECO boss also stated that the examination was conducted smoothly across the country, with no major disruptions reported from any of the centres. He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to ensuring credibility, transparency, and fairness in all its assessments.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, who monitored the exercise in Abuja, expressed satisfaction with the conduct and organisation of the examination. She noted that the centres visited were well-coordinated, with candidates orderly seated and examinations commencing on schedule.

However, she expressed concern over the number of absentees recorded in some centres, stating that understanding the reasons behind their absence would help authorities address possible challenges preventing participation.

Ahmad also confirmed that the schools visited were adequately equipped for the exercise and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure nationwide.

Data from the examination showed that Taraba State recorded the lowest number of candidates with 15 registrations, while Lagos State had the highest participation with 13,228 candidates. The monitoring team visited Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Science Technical College, Garki; and Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, all in Abuja.