From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A total of 64,000 candidates from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo participated in the 2025 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, monitored the exercise at Model Secondary School, Maitama, and Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja, respectively, and expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the examination.
The minister said the large number of candidates was an indication of the 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 the Unity Schools in national cohesion,” she added.
NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, confirmed that Lagos State has 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. They are 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 examination and that materials arrived on time. Hence, the examination started as scheduled. “And so far, we’ve seen no issues. This smooth process gives us hope that the upcoming senior secondary examination, both WAEC and NECO, will follow suit,” he stated.
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 exigency, the latter catering largely for children of civil servants.
“Final admissions will depend on the released results, but we remain committed to a fair and inclusive process,” she noted.