By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

No fewer than 64,000 candidates from Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo on Saturday participated in the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Government Colleges.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the examination is conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

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

Ahmad emphasised that the turnout of candidates reflected the continued public trust in the Unity School system.

?I am 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.

?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 said.

On his part, the NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with more than 15,000 while Togo had the lowest with 17.

Wushishi said that 109 candidates from Benin Republic and Togo combined took part in the examination with Nigerian citizens residing there.

?This is a truly regional exercise that affirms the reach and reputation of our Unity Colleges,? he said.

He noted that no challenges were reported during the conduct of the examination.

?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 said.

The NECO boss also acknowledged the inclusion of children with special needs, saying braille materials and support personnel were provided for them during the examination.

Also speaking, 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.

Abdulkadri added that final admissions would depend on the released results, promising to remain committed to a fair and inclusive process.

NAN reports that the examination, which is yearly, enables pupils access Federal Government colleges, popularly called Unity Colleges.

Admissions into the first term academic session will begin after the release of the results. (NAN)

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