Prof: Charles Uwakwe: NECO boss

The 2018 Common Entrance Examinations witnessed higher enrollment of 79,887 candidates compared to 2017 with enrollment of 78,378, while candidates with special needs were also given adequate consideration.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday while monitoring some of the examination centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prospective students for the Junior Secondary School (JSS) I of the 104 Unity Colleges in the country sat for the examination organised by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Anwukah observed that the examinations were conducted in good environments, while commending NECO for a hitch-free exercise.

According to him, the exam is taking place all over the country unlike that of 2017 in which the examinations was restricted in Borno and Adamawa states due to activities of the insurgents.

“I came here to find out whether the exam is going on well and whether the candidates are well accommodated and the environment is good enough for them to take the exams.

“And I have just confirmed that. They are doing the exam in atmosphere conducive. I am also impressed with what I am seeing here.

He added the number of successful candidates in the examination would determine the number of candidates to be admitted into the government secondary schools nationwide.

Also, Prof. Charles Uwakwe, the NECO Registrar, said the examination was taking place across the country with adequate security in place.

He said the examination recorded the highest enrollment of pupils from Lagos State with 25, 800, while Zamfara state has the lowest enrolment of 28.

“In my assessment, the enrolment is very satisfactory and the minister insisted that as matters of principle, we must keep the doors opened so that nobody will be disenfranchised.

“There is no problem of enrollment in Borno State; they even had the head start in the Northeast.

“79,887 is the current figure of enrollment. The state with the highest enrollment is Lagos with 25,800 enrolments and the lowest is Zamfara.

The minister added that there was also provision for students with special needs, saying that when the documentation was done we tried to put them into consideration

He said the ministry would determine the number of candidate to be admitted based on their performances in the examination.

NAN correspondents, who monitored the examination, observed that the examination started promptly as scheduled in all the centres visited with the presence of security personnel.

The exercise was hitch-free at Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Government Secondary School, Garki and Tudun Wada Secondary School in Zone 4, Abuja, among others.

Pupils turned out in large numbers wearing their school uniforms.

Parents and guardians were also seen waiting patiently for their children and wards to finish the exam. (NAN)