NECO Full List of Examination Centre Numbers: All Candidates Must Know

If you are preparing to sit for a NECO examination in Nigeria, one of the most important details on your registration document is your examination centre number. This number tells you exactly where you will write your exam. Knowing how to read it, what it means, and how to find your own centre is non-negotiable.

This guide breaks down everything about NECO examination centre numbers, covering how the system works, the state-by-state centre structure, how to locate centres, and where to download the official PDF list.

What Is NECO and Why Does It Matter?

The National Examinations Council (NECO) is a federal examination body in Nigeria, established in April 1999. It conducts three major examinations:

• SSCE Internal: for final-year school students (June/July)
• SSCE External / GCE: for private candidates (November/December)
• BECE (Junior WAEC): for JS3 students
• NCEE: National Common Entrance Examination for Federal Government secondary schools

NECO serves candidates across Nigeria and extends to countries including Benin Republic, Togo, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia. It also recently established a centre in London. Every year, approximately 2 million candidates sit for NECO examinations in Nigeria alone.

What Is a NECO Examination Centre Number?

A NECO centre code (also called centre number) is a unique 7-digit identifier assigned to each approved examination venue. The format is:

[3-digit State Code] + [4-digit Centre Sequence]

Example: 0310035 breaks down as:

• 031 = FCT Abuja (state code)
• 0035 = Government Secondary School Kubwa (specific school/centre in that state)

Another example: 0340001

• 034 = Ekiti State
• 0001 = Christ the King College, Ado-Ekiti

This system makes it straightforward to identify which state a candidate belongs to just from the centre code.

How NECO Assigns Centre Codes by State

Each of Nigeria’s 36 states plus FCT has a designated 3-digit prefix. Centres within each state then receive sequential 4-digit suffixes. The table below shows the verified state codes and example centres drawn from official NECO publications:

State	State Code Prefix	Example Centre Code	Example Centre Name
Abia	010	0100001	Federal Government College, Ohafia
Adamawa	011	0110001	Government Secondary School, Yola
Akwa Ibom	012	0120001	FGC Ikot-Ekpene
Anambra	013	0130001	FGC Nise
Bauchi	014	0140001	Government Day Secondary School, Bauchi
Bayelsa	015	0150001	Government Secondary School, Yenagoa
Benue	016	0160001	Government Secondary School, Makurdi
Borno	017	0170001	Government Secondary School, Maiduguri
Cross River	018	0180001	FGC Ikom
Delta	019	0190001	FGC Warri
Ebonyi	020	0200001	Government Secondary School, Abakaliki
Edo	021	0210001	FGC Ibillo
Ekiti	034	0340001	Christ the King College, Ado-Ekiti
Enugu	022	0220001	FGC Enugu
FCT Abuja	031	0310035	Government Secondary School, Kubwa
Gombe	023	0230001	Government Secondary School, Gombe
Imo	024	0240001	FGC Okigwe
Jigawa	025	0250001	Government Secondary School, Dutse
Kaduna	026	0260001	Government College, Kaduna
Kano	027	0270001	Rumfa College, Kano
Katsina	028	0280001	Government Day Secondary School, Katsina
Kebbi	029	0290001	Government Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi
Kogi	030	0300001	Government Secondary School, Lokoja
Kwara	032	0320001	Government Secondary School, Ilorin
Lagos	033	0330001	King’s College, Lagos
Nasarawa	035	0350001	Government Secondary School, Lafia
Niger	036	0360001	Government Secondary School, Minna
Ogun	037	0370001	FGC Odogbolu
Ondo	038	0380001	FGC Idoani
Osun	039	0390001	FGC Ikirun
Oyo	040	0400001	Government College, Ibadan
Plateau	041	0410001	Government Secondary School, Jos
Rivers	042	0420001	Government Comprehensive Secondary School, PH
Sokoto	043	0430001	Government Secondary School, Sokoto
Taraba	044	0440001	Government Secondary School, Jalingo
Yobe	045	0450001	Government Secondary School, Damaturu
Zamfara	046	0460001	Government Secondary School, Gusau

Note: The state codes above are based on NECO’s published centre lists. Centre sequences are illustrative. Always verify your exact centre from your official NECO slip or the NECO portal.

READ ALSO: NECO Syllabus 2026/2027 Is Out For All Subjects

Key Fields on the NECO Centre List

When NECO publishes its centre list (for SSCE Internal or External), each centre entry contains the following columns:

Column	What It Means
S/N	Serial number (overall and per custodian point)
Centre Code	The 7-digit code that identifies the exam venue
Name of Centre	Full name of the school or institution
Neighbourhood Code	A 4-digit zone/neighbourhood identifier
Neighbourhood Name	The town or area the centre falls under
Custodian Point	The bank or NECO office holding exam materials before delivery
LGA	Local Government Area
Senatorial District	Political district the LGA falls under

This information is critical. The custodian point column, for example, tells you which bank or NECO state office secures exam papers before they are released to your centre on exam day.

NECO Examination Types and Their Centre Lists

Different NECO exams use different centre lists. Here is a quick breakdown:

Exam Type	Who It Is For	Period	Centre List Type
SSCE Internal (June/July)	School candidates (SS3 students)	May–July	School-based; centre = the candidate’s school
SSCE External / GCE (Nov/Dec)	Private candidates (not in school)	Nov–Dec	Published approved centres per state
BECE (Junior WAEC)	JS3 students	May–June	School-based
NCEE (Common Entrance)	Primary 6 pupils for Unity Schools	Annually	Centres per state linked to federal colleges

For the SSCE External (GCE), the full centre list matters most because private candidates must select and travel to an approved centre. NECO publishes this list before registration opens each year on its portal at neco.gov.ng.

Verified NECO GCE Centre Examples (FCT Abuja)

Below is a sample of the actual NECO GCE approved centres for FCT Abuja (State Code: 031), as published by NECO:

Centre Code	Name of Centre	Neighbourhood	Custodian Point	Area Council
0310035	Govt. Secondary School, Kubwa	Kubwa	NECO State Office	Bwari
0310042	School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada	Gwagwalada	Unity Bank, G/lada	Gwagwalada
0310003	Govt. Secondary School, Wuse	Garki	First Bank Jabi	AMAC
0310010	Govt. Secondary School, Garki	Garki	First Bank Jabi	AMAC
0310011	Govt. Secondary School, Nyanya	Nyanya	First Bank Nyanya	AMAC
0310071	FCT Agency for Mass Education, Karu	Nyanya 1	First Bank Nyanya	AMAC
0310072	FCT Agency for Mass Education, Bwari	Bwari	First Bank Bwari	Bwari
0310074	Zuba Academy, Zuba	Zuba	Police Station, Zuba	Gwagwalada

Verified NECO GCE Centre Examples (Ekiti State)

Ekiti State (State Code: 034) sample from the official published list:

Centre Code	Name of Centre	Neighbourhood	Custodian Point	LGA
0340001	Christ the King College, Ado-Ekiti	Ado-Ekiti	NECO Office Ado-Ekiti	Ado-Ekiti
0340021	Anglican High School, Ado-Ekiti	Ado-Ekiti	NECO Office Ado-Ekiti	Ado-Ekiti
0340047	Corpus Christi College, Ilawe-Ekiti	Ilawe-Ekiti	NECO Office Ado-Ekiti	Ekiti South
0340007	Aramoko District Commercial Sec. Sch.	Aramoko-Ekiti	Wema Bank Aramoko	Ekiti West
0340016	Ise Comprehensive High School, Ise-Ekiti	Ise-Ekiti	First Bank Plc, Emure	Ise LGA
0340059	Orija High School, Emure-Ekiti	Emure	First Bank Plc, Emure	Ekiti South

Your NECO Registration Number vs. Your Centre Number

Many candidates confuse these two. They are not the same.

Term	Format	What It Is
NECO Registration Number	10-digit alphanumeric (e.g., 60514564AD)	Your unique candidate identity number
Centre Code	7-digit numeric (e.g., 0310035)	The code for your exam venue
Seat Number	2–4 digits	Your allocated seat within the centre

Your registration number is issued to you during the registration process. It links you to your centre and is what you use to check your results after the exam. The centre number tells NECO and exam supervisors which venue you belong to.

How to Find Your NECO Centre Number

There are three practical ways:

1. Check your NECO photocard or printout After completing registration, your photocard shows your name, registration number, centre code, and centre name.
2. Visit the NECO official portal Go to neco.gov.ng and log in with your registration credentials. Your assigned centre appears in your candidate profile.
3. Contact your NECO State Office If you have misplaced your documents, walk into your nearest NECO state office. Bring your full name, date of birth, exam type (SSCE or GCE), exam year, and the name of the school where you registered. NECO staff will retrieve your details, though a retrieval fee may apply.

How to Download the NECO Full Centre List PDF

NECO publishes the approved centre list on its official website before each exam season. Here is how to access it:

1. Go to neco.gov.ng
2. Click on the exam type (e.g., SSCE External or SSCE Internal)
3. Look for the “Approved Centres” or “Examination Centres” link under registration guidelines
4. Download the state-by-state PDF list

For unofficial compilations by state, education resource sites like lasu-info.com have published the centre lists in individual state pages, each with a direct PDF download link. These are useful as quick references but candidates should always cross-check against the NECO official portal.

Important: NECO updates centre lists each exam cycle. A centre that was active in 2023 may be inactive or renamed in 2026. Always use the current year’s published list.

NECO State Offices: Where to Get Physical Assistance

If you cannot resolve centre-related issues online, visit the NECO state office closest to you. Below is a condensed list of NECO office addresses by geopolitical zone:

1. North-East Zone

State	Address
Bauchi	Railway Road, Bauchi
Gombe	Govt. Arabic College Premises, Gombe
Yobe	Phase 1 State Secretariat, Abba Ibrahim Way, Damaturu
Borno	No. 2 Shehu Laminu Way, Maiduguri
Taraba	Opposite Civil Service Union Secretariat, Magami, Jalingo
Adamawa	Ibrahim Kashim Way, Ministry of Education, Yola

2. North-West Zone

State	Address
Katsina	Dandogoro, Along Kano Road
Jigawa	Along Daura Road, Kazaure
Kaduna	No. 1 Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna
Kano	Runfan College Premises, Along BUK Road
Sokoto	Block 14, 2nd Floor, Shehu Kangiwa Secretariat
Kebbi	Haliru Abdu Old Secretariat, Birnin Kebbi
Zamfara	J.B. Secretariat Complex, Gusau

3. North-Central Zone

State	Address
FCT Abuja	Km 8, Bida Road, PMB 159, Minna (Zonal HQ)
Niger	Along Bida Road, Minna
Kogi	Government House Road, Lokoja
Kwara	Behind Ministry of Education, Ilorin
Benue	Off Makurdi–Gboko Road, Makurdi
Nasarawa	Along Lafia–Abuja Road, Lafia
Plateau	Behind NTA Station, Jos

4. South-West Zone

State	Address
Lagos	Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos
Ogun	Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta
Oyo	Secretariat Road, Ibadan
Ekiti	Ado-Ekiti
Ondo	Alagbaka Estate, Akure
Osun	Abere, Osogbo

5. South-East Zone

State	Address
Abia	Umuahia
Anambra	Awka
Enugu	Enugu
Imo	Owerri
Ebonyi	Abakaliki

7. South-South Zone

State	Address
Rivers	Port Harcourt
Bayelsa	Yenagoa
Akwa Ibom	Uyo
Cross River	Calabar
Delta	Asaba
Edo	Benin City

What Changed in Recent Years: CBT and New Centre Structure

NECO has shifted the SSCE External to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) from 2026. This means:

• Candidates must write at CBT-enabled centres only
• Biometric verification (fingerprints) is used at the gate to confirm identity
• The number of eligible centres is smaller than under paper-based testing
• Candidates who do not match their biometric data during check-in can be flagged as impersonators

This shift affects the centre list significantly. Schools that lack computers or electricity infrastructure have been removed from the approved list. The 2025 GCE External covered 16 subjects and recorded 96,979 registered candidates, with 95,160 eventually sitting the exam.

Quick Facts Summary

Item	Detail
Full name	National Examinations Council (NECO)
Established	April 1999
Headquarters	Minna, Niger State
Current Registrar	Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi
Exams conducted	SSCE Internal, SSCE External (GCE), BECE, NCEE
Countries covered	Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia, UK (London)
Centre code format	7-digit numeric (3-digit state prefix + 4-digit sequence)
Official website	neco.gov.ng
SSCE External exam period	November–December
SSCE Internal exam period	June–July
Exam mode (from 2025)	CBT (Computer-Based Test) for SSCE External

Final Note

The NECO centre number system is straightforward once you know how to read it. The first three digits always point to the state, and the remaining four identify the specific school. For every exam cycle, NECO publishes a fresh list. Download it from the official NECO portal, confirm your assigned centre from your photocard, and visit any NECO state office if you need physical assistance. The list is not hidden at all, it just needs to be accessed from the right source.