The National Examinations Council on Saturday conducted the 2024 National Common Entrance Examination with 70,603 candidates participating nationwide.
The examination was held in 599 centers across the country, with Lagos having the highest number of candidates 17,751 followed by the Federal Capital Territory 10,209 and Anambra 4,972.
According to The PUNCH the NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, said the registration fee was slightly increased this year, which may have contributed to the lower registration compared to 2023.
He attributed the decline to economic factors, stating that parents are struggling to sponsor their children’s education.
“For the males and females, last year’s registration was higher than this year’s registration this could be attributed to so many factors; economic factor is the most prevalent factor that maybe could hinder this large registration,” he said.
Wushishi clarified that only candidates aged 10 or close to 10 years old were eligible to participate in the examination, dismissing claims of underage registration.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Didi Walson-Jack, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination, praising NECO for ensuring a smooth and seamless process.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Basic and Secondary, Lawal Adamu, commended NECO for the successful conduct of the examination and urged National Assembly members to provide educational support for children in their constituencies.
Adamu also disclosed that he sponsored NECO and JAMB examinations for parents in his state, totaling over N250 million.
