NCEE: NECO registers over 25,000 candidates in Lagos

A total of 25,781 candidates registered for this year’s National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the examination was for admission into the 104 Unity Colleges across the country.

The Lagos State Zonal Coordinator, National Examinations Council (NECO), Mr Gbenga Olapade, organisers of the examination, told NAN in an interview on Saturday that a total of 115 centres were being used for the examination across the state.

Olapade said that there were additional four centres for this year’s examination when compared with 111 centres used for the same examination in 2015.

According to him, from the additional centres, simple logic showed that more candidates registered for the examination in 2016.

Olapade said that it was expected that even with large number of candidates, not all were being expected to sit for the examination as a result of one factor or the other.

“You cannot get 100 per cent attendance in any examination but I am impressed with the number of candidates that believed in and registered for this examination this year.

“It goes to show that there is a measure of standard in the colleges and Nigerians are beginning to reckon by the day with Federal Government Colleges,’’ he told NAN.

He attributed the steady progression of number of candidates for the examination in the country to the sound and qualitative education and other investments government put in place for the colleges across the country.

According to him, logistics to ensure a smooth conduct of the examination in the state had been deployed and all the supervisors were well briefed.

He said that with over two decades in the conduct of the examination, the council had ensured a zero tolerance to malpractices at all levels.

Olapade said that the council would not hesitate to deal decisively with any supervisor or staff found colluding with anyone to compromise the examination at any given point in time.

“The National Common Entrance Examination has been in place for well over two decades now.

“We conducted the first examination in 1993 when the board was still known as National Board for Educational Measurement which later metamorphosed into NECO.

“Ever since then, it had recorded successes in the conduct of its public examinations for the Nigerian child.

“The Council has come a long way in ensuring that the Nigerian child has access to quality education and will stop at nothing in protecting the integrity of its examinations,’’ he said.

Olapade said that he was looking forward to more successes to be recorded in the administration of the examination in the years ahead.

He commended the Lagos State Government for partnering with the council over the years in ensuring a successful conduct of the examination.

Meanwhile, NAN reports that the accreditation of candidates for the examination started at 7.30 a.m. in some centres visited.

At Ogba Junior Grammar School in Ikeja, Ojodu Senior High School and King’s College Annex, Victoria Island, the examination was hitch free with a few absentees recorded.

The Centre Supervisor for Ogba Junior Grammar school, Mrs Adebola Aderibigbe, said the examination proper commenced at 9 a.m. and was expected to be concluded by 2.15 p.m.

She said that a total of 241 candidates participated in the examination at the centre.

Another supervisor in one of the centres, who pleaded anonymity, said the candidates were well behaved, with no interference from persons around.

She commended the efforts of the council in ensuring that the examination commenced as at when due.