By joshua 
NECO Set For 2026 National Common Entrance Examination
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
The National Examination Council (NECO) yesterday said the body is fully set for the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination and the National Gifted Examination.
Mrs Joyce Ominiabohs, the Edo State coordinator disclosed this in Benin-City on Monday , during a public sensitization program organized by the officials of the Council.
Speaking to newsmen at the event, Head Of Public Relations and Information, Obadigie Idahosa, who represented the State Coordinator, Mrs Joyce Ominiabohs said that the purpose of their outing was to sensitize the general public of the forth- Coming National Common Entrance Examinations and the National Gifted Examination which comes up on the 6th of June 2026 and on Saturday 23rd of May 2026 respectively.
According to Obadigie, those school Children going for the Unity Colleges should be only final year pupils of primary schools who shall not be less than 10 years by September 2026 and those going for the National Gifted Examination shouldn’t be less than 11 years by September 2026.
” Those eligible for this Exam are those school Children who are not less than 10 years by September 2026 for the Unity Colleges and children going for the National Gifted Examination shouldn’t be less than 11 years old by September 2026
The amount payable for both Exams is five thousand Nine hundred and forty Naira (N5, 940:00). per Candidate and the registration is strictly online but for parents who are not able to register their children on their own can visit the Benin office where there are accredited cyber operators around the office who can assist them with registration.
“Parents who want quality education for their Children in any of the Unity Colleges in Nigeria should take advantage of this examination to gain access to the high quality education these federal government Schools provide.
He further stated that, , there are three federal government colleges in Edo State.
” In Edo State here, we have three such government Colleges. They include the Federal Government College, Benin-City, for girls only,
Federal Science and Technology in Uromi (FSTC), for both boys and girls and the Federal Government College, Ibilo also for both boys and girls. There are about Eighty- eight (88) Similar Unity Colleges across the Country. Similarly, we also have the second examination coming up as well.
This is the National Gifted Examination which is for School Children who are not less than 11 years by September 2026 and the date for this examination is Saturday 23rd of May 2026
and the registration fee for this examination is five thousand Nine hundred and forty Naira (N5, 940:00) per Candidate and the mode of payment is online but parents who are not conversant with electronic payments can visit the office of NECO located along Benin- Agbor Road by Kojo Motors in Ikpoba Okha local government area where there are accredited cyber operators around the office who can help parents with online payments.
Obadigie stated that the National Gifted Examination is unique because those who are successful in this exam enjoy scholarship all through from JSS1 to SS3.
“This examination is unique in the sense that those who pass the examination enjoy scholarship from JSS1 to SS3 which means free tuition, free books, free uniforms, free accommodation and free feeding and this is an opportunity I think every parent should take advantage of.