FOLASHADE KEHINDE
THE National Examinations Council said, on Monday, that 24,416 candidates passed the 2020 National Common Entrance Examination, out of a total of 70,580 candidates.
The cut off mark for admission was subsequently fixed at 142, in an examination where the minimum score was 66.
The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, NECO, Godswill Obioma, said this while presenting the NECO results to the Minister of Education in Abuja.
He disclosed that three students got the highest scores, adding that 16,713 candidates were absent due to the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country recently.
The three highest scoring students were Umeonyiagu Chinua Crucifixio from Anambra State, who scored 199; Onwuamanam Udochukwu from Enugu State (198); and Salaam Mariam Aderemilekun from Lagos State (197).
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, commended the Examination Council for the speed with which it conducted the 2020 entrance examination despite the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protest.
According to him, the 110 Unity Colleges have an enhanced admissions carrying capacity of 26,625 for the current academic year.
“A total of 70,580 candidates sat for the examination, out of which 24,416 candidates passed, scoring a minimum of 66. I noted also that the total carrying capacity of our 110 Unity Colleges now stands at 26,625, having added 720 slots with the establishment of six more Federal Science and Technical Colleges across the six geopolitical zones,” the minister said.
“As has been the tradition for decades, the admission criteria include 60 per cent strictly on merit; 30 per cent based on states’ representation in the Unity Colleges; and the remaining 10 per cent to cover other sundry considerations, such as special needs candidates, gender, local community and biological children of teachers, PTA and old students organisations, etc,” he added.
Adamu said, consequently, in the 2020 admission, the 60 per cent merit-based admission would come first, followed by the 30 per cent equality of states, and 10 per cent discretion admissions.
“I have, therefore, directed that within 72 hours of the receipt of the results, principals are to complete both the merit-based and equality of states admission. The selection meeting to be held at a designated date and venue will deal with the shopping and swapping of candidates to meet the 30 per cent states representation as much as possible,” he noted.
