By Gabriella Ogbu
In the recently released National Examinations Council (NECO) gifted student entrance test results, Zamfara State has emerged as the top-performing Northern state and secured the second overall rank in Nigeria.
The 2024 Gifted Results for Admission into the Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State, were announced last week by the national test authority. According to a statement from Sulaiman Bala Idris, the spokesperson for the Governor of Zamfara, the state had the most slots and was the best performing state in the entire North.
“Among the 19 Northern States, Zamfara State pupils performed the best on the NECO entrance tests for talented students, shattering a major educational barrier,” Idris stated. He continued by noting that Anambra State secured the top spot with 35 pupils nationwide, followed closely by Zamfara with 30 gifted students.
This achievement marks a significant turnaround for Zamfara, which typically ranks at the bottom of the performance hierarchy. For the first time, the state is performing exceptionally well on the national stage.
“The Gifted Examination is held by NECO to determine which gifted and talented pupils will be admitted to the Federal Government Academy Suleja. By December of the examination year, only students in their final year of elementary school who are younger than 11 years old are qualified to take the test,” Idris explained.
The Federal Government Academy Suleja is renowned for shaping Nigeria’s brilliant and talented children, offering them an excellent opportunity to reach their full potential in service of technological advancement and nation-building. The federal government provides scholarships that cover tuition, costs for external examinations, boarding, meals, uniforms, and initial textbooks for these students.
In 2024, Zamfara was initially granted three slots into the Federal Government Academy according to the state quota but managed to secure an additional 27 slots based on national merit. With their outstanding exam results, Zamfara students secured more spots than students from any other Northern state.
“This is a huge development, especially in light of the fact that the state’s education system was placed under emergency last year,” Idris remarked. Of the thirty qualified Zamfara students, twenty-one are female and nine are male, indicating a growing emphasis on girls’ education in the state.
“The Zamfara state government will keep working harder to guarantee that the administration’s educational policies are fully implemented, which will result in more successes for the state,” Idris concluded.
