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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Nigeria's common entrance exam sees fewer candidates, more girls registered

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • 58,187 candidates sat Nigeria's 2026 National Common Entrance Examination for federal colleges, a decrease from the previous year.
  • Female candidates outnumbered males, with over 31,000 registered compared to about 26,000 males.
  • The examination was largely hitch-free nationwide, though some centers noted absentee candidates.

Nigeria's National Examinations Council (NECO) reported that 58,187 candidates participated in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination for admission into federal government colleges. This figure represents a decline from the 64,578 candidates who registered in 2025. The examination, conducted nationwide, aims to fill spaces in the country's unity schools.

I think this reflects the efforts of the ministry in promoting girl-child education and shows that positive results are being achieved in that regard.

— Prof. Ibrahim WushishiCommenting on the higher number of female candidates registered for the examination.

NECO Registrar Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi noted that female candidates constituted the majority of registrants this year, with over 31,000 compared to approximately 26,000 male candidates. He attributed this to the Federal Ministry of Education's efforts to promote girl-child education, indicating positive results from these initiatives.

Monitoring the examination in Abuja, Minister of State for Education Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad expressed satisfaction with the conduct, describing the exercise as largely hitch-free and orderly. Candidates commenced their exams on schedule, and adherence to the prescribed age bracket was observed. However, Ahmad raised concerns about the number of absentee candidates at some centers, stressing the need to investigate the reasons behind these absences.

We have been to three schools and I am happy with the conduct of the examination in all the centres visited. The students are orderly, well seated and the examination started on time.

— Prof. Suwaiba AhmadExpressing satisfaction with the examination's organization and conduct.

The examination saw significant regional disparities, with Taraba state recording the lowest number of registrations at 15, while Lagos state had the highest with 13,228 candidates. The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to improving educational infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning across the nation.

I have also looked at the registration documents of the students and observed that the guidelines regarding the prescribed age bracket for the examination were adhered to.

— Prof. Suwaiba AhmadConfirming that candidates met the age requirements for the examination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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