64,000 candidates take NECO’s national entrance exam into Federal Unity Colleges

A total of 64,000 pupils from Nigeria, as well as from the Benin Republic and Togo, participated on Saturday in the 2025 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), organised by the National Examinations Council (NECO), for entry into Federal Government Colleges.

The exercise was overseen in various examination centres in Abuja by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad.

While inspecting centres like the Model Secondary School in Maitama and the Government Secondary School in Tudun Wada, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad expressed her contentment with how smoothly the examination was conducted.

She revealed that among the 64,000 candidates sitting for the 2025 entrance examination, 30,000 were boys and 34,000 were girls, pointing out that the large turnout demonstrated the level of interest in the Federal Unity Colleges.

“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 highlighted that the level of participation showed that the public still trusted 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.

In addition, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, verified that Lagos State had the highest number of candidates, registering more than 15,000, while Togo recorded the lowest with just 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 remarked that the conduct of the exam was free from any reported issues.

“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 chief also pointed out that children with special needs were included in the process, with provisions such as braille exam papers and support staff being made available.

Meanwhile, Binta Abdulkadir, who is the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, stated that admission into the unity schools would be guided by merit, state quota, and public relations—particularly benefitting children of civil servants.

“Final admissions will depend on the released results, but we remain committed to a fair and inclusive process,” she noted.