Female candidates have outnumbered males in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), as a total of 58,187 pupils sat for the examination conducted nationwide by the National Examinations Council (NECO) for admission into Federal Government Colleges across Nigeria.
According to officials, over 31,000 girls took part in the examination compared to about 26,000 boys, marking a notable shift in participation trends.
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The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Abuja after monitoring the examination alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad.
He said the development reflects steady progress in efforts to promote girl-child education across the country.
Prof. Wushishi noted that sustained advocacy by the Federal Ministry of Education is beginning to yield positive results, as more girls continue to show strong participation in national academic examinations.
“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,” he said.
He also revealed that although participation was high, the total number of candidates recorded a slight decline compared to 64,578 candidates who sat for the examination in 2025.
Despite this, he described the conduct of the examination as smooth and successful across the country, with reports indicating minimal challenges.
The NECO boss commended the organisation of the exercise and expressed satisfaction that pupils were able to sit for the examination without major disruptions.
The National Common Entrance Examination remains the gateway for admission into Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria, which are known for their competitive academic standards and diverse student population.
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