The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, made the disclosure in Abuja while briefing journalists after monitoring the exercise alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad.
According to him, this year’s figure marks a decline from the 64,578 candidates who registered for the 2025 edition of the examination, indicating a noticeable drop in participation.
Wushishi also highlighted a significant gender distribution trend, noting that female candidates outnumbered their male counterparts. He said more than 31,000 girls registered compared to about 26,000 boys.
“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 further stated that the examination was generally conducted without major disruptions across the country, describing the process as largely smooth based on reports received from monitoring teams.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, who visited selected centres in Abuja, also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination.
After inspections at Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Science Technical College, Garki; and Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, she noted that the exercise was orderly and well-coordinated.
“We have been to three schools and I am happy with the conduct of the examination in all the centres visited,” she said. “The students are orderly, well seated and the examination started on time.”
She also confirmed that registration guidelines, particularly those relating to the approved age bracket for candidates, were properly followed.
However, Ahmad raised concern over the number of absentee candidates recorded in some centres, pointing out that about 18 candidates were absent in one of the halls visited. She said further investigation may be needed to understand the reasons behind the absences.
The minister also commended the availability of basic facilities in the schools visited, reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening infrastructure for improved teaching and learning outcomes.
Data from the examination exercise showed wide regional variation in participation. Taraba State recorded the lowest number of candidates with just 15 registrations, while Lagos State topped the list with 13,228 candidates.
The examination remains a key gateway for admission into Federal Government Colleges nationwide, and officials say the 2026 exercise was successfully conducted with minimal disruptions across centres.