No fewer than 20,000 candidates from Lagos State on Saturday sat for the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) into Federal Government Colleges across the country.

The examination, conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), is expected to place students into the 104 Unity Colleges in the country.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the conduct of the examination across the state, reports that it was peaceful and hitch-free.

Candidates and their parents started reporting at various centres in Ikeja, Surulere, Agege and Lagos Island as early as 6.45 a.m.

Parents were, however, sent away from the centres before the examination commenced at about 9.45 a.m. amid tight security.

The Lagos Zonal Head of NECO, Mr Abimbola Afolabi, told NAN that over 20,000 candidates registered for the examination in the state.

He said that 95 centres had been designated for the examination in parts of the state.

Mrs Victoria Faluyi, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Education, who monitored the exercise, expressed satisfaction with its conduct.

"The government's reform in the sector is gradually witnessing positive results.

"I am impressed with the logistics put in place by NECO in the state to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

"The candidates arrived at the centres in time and they all ensured that they complied with the instructions given to them by both the supervisors and the examiners.

"Government in line with its transformation agenda is leaving nothing to chance to ensure that the sector is given its rightful place," she told NAN.