No fewer than 64,000 candidates from Nigeria, the Benin Republic, and Togo on Saturday sat for the 2025 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Government Colleges, conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, monitored the exercise in some examination centres in Abuja.
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Speaking at the Model Secondary School, Maitama, and Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the examination.
She disclosed that out of the 64,000 candidates participating in the 2025 entrance examination, 30,000 were male and 34,000 female, noting that the high number of candidates was a strong indication of interest in the Federal Unity Schools.
“I’m very happy with the way the exams have been conducted. They started on time, students were orderly, and invigilators were present and active. We had 64,000 candidates, 30,000 male and 34,000 female, which shows a strong interest in our unity colleges,” she said.
The Minister emphasised that the turnout reflects continued public trust in the unity school system.
“Nigerians are still eager to have their children in Federal Government Colleges. This turnout shows that parents still value the role of unity schools in national cohesion,” she added.
Also speaking, NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, confirmed that Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with over 15,000, while the Republic of Togo had the lowest with 17 candidates.
“We had about 109 candidates from Benin Republic and Togo combined, all Nigerian citizens residing there. This is a truly regional exercise that affirms the reach and reputation of our unity colleges,” he said.
Wushishi noted that no challenges were reported during the conduct of the exam.
“Materials arrived on time, the exam started as scheduled, and so far, we’ve seen no issues. This smooth process gives us hope that upcoming senior secondary exams, both WAEC and NECO, will follow suit,” he stated.
The NECO boss also acknowledged the inclusion of children with special needs, assuring that accommodations such as braille materials and support personnel were provided.
On her part, the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Binta Abdulkadir, said admissions into unity schools would be based on merit, state quota, and public relations—the latter catering largely to children of civil servants.
“Final admissions will depend on the released results, but we remain committed to a fair and inclusive process,” she noted.