Taraba, Yobe and Adamawa states have recorded the lowest participation in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), according to figures released by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
A total of 58,187 candidates sat for the examination held on Saturday for admission into Federal Government Colleges, also known as Unity Schools. The figure comprises 31,877 female candidates and 26,310 male candidates.
Lagos State led the registration with 13,228 candidates, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 9,639, and Anambra State with 4,410 candidates.
However, several northern states recorded significantly low participation, with Taraba State having the lowest figure of 15 candidates. Yobe registered 41 candidates, while Adamawa recorded 86 candidates.
Other states with low turnout include Bayelsa with 117 candidates, Kebbi 139, Bauchi 148, Gombe 171, Sokoto 210, Borno 243, Kogi 253, Nasarawa 264, Ekiti 285 and Katsina 289.
The figures contrast sharply with higher participation recorded in states such as Imo with 3,292 candidates, Rivers 2,587, Jigawa 2,575 and Enugu 2,365.
Speaking after monitoring the examination in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise, noting that it commenced on time and was orderly across centres visited.
She, however, raised concern over absenteeism, disclosing that about 18 candidates were absent in one of the examination halls she visited.
The minister said inspection of registration records showed compliance with age requirements, adding that the Federal Government remained committed to improving education infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.
Also speaking, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said the 58,187 candidates represented a decline from the 64,578 recorded in 2025.
He attributed the relatively higher number of female candidates to ongoing government interventions promoting girl-child education, adding that the examination was largely hitch-free nationwide.
