Over 100,000 Candidates Register for 2026 NABTEB Examinations

Over 100,000 Candidates Register for 2026 NABTEB Examinations
Rising enrollment reflects growing interest in technical and vocational education.
Registrar urged greater support for skills development and entrepreneurship.

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has recorded a significant increase in enrollment for its 2026 National Business Certificate (NBC) and National Technical Certificate (NTC) examinations, with more than 100,000 candidates registered nationwide.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr. Mohammed Aminu-Muhammed, disclosed this on Monday while monitoring the ongoing examinations at Government Technical College, Kano.

According to him, the increase in candidate registration reflects the growing acceptance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) among Nigerians.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Aminu-Muhammed revealed that the board recorded 92,260 candidates in the 2025 examinations, noting that the figure has now surpassed 100,000 across various technical and vocational trades.

“This demonstrates growing acceptance of technical and vocational education among Nigerians,” he said.

The registrar attributed the rise in enrollment to increased awareness of the importance of skills acquisition, stronger government support for technical education, and growing confidence among parents in vocational training.

He said more families now see technical education as a viable pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and economic independence.

Aminu-Muhammed commended government efforts to strengthen the TVET sector, stressing that the future job market would place greater emphasis on practical skills rather than paper qualifications alone.

“The era we are going into is one that de-emphasises paper qualifications and places greater emphasis on skills,” he said.

“You do not need to wait for government employment before earning a living. With relevant skills, you can become self-reliant, employ others and contribute to economic development.”

The NABTEB registrar also highlighted the importance of skills acquisition in driving economic growth and reducing unemployment.

Speaking on the monitoring exercise, he explained that the inspection was aimed at assessing examination conduct, supervision, candidate verification and the overall examination environment.

He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examinations in Kano and advocated the provision of starter packs for technical graduates to help them establish businesses and create jobs.