Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has revealed that Lagos State has the highest number of candidates that sat for the 2025 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Government Colleges.

It also disclosed that a total of 64,000 from Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo  participated with 30,000 males and 34,000 females.

Speaking after monitoring the exercise at Model Secondary School, Maitama and Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the examination and 

emphasized that the turnout reflects continued public trust in the unity school system.

According to Ahmed, “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 males and 34,000 females, which shows a strong interest in our unity colleges.

“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.” 

Also speaking, NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said Lagos State registered over 15,000 candidates, while the Republic of Togo had the lowest with 17 candidates.

He said: “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.” 

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, adding that accommodations like 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 will be based on merit, state quota, and exigency, 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.