The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has recorded a significant increase in candidates’ enrolment for the 2026 National Business Certificate (NBC) and National Technical Certificate (NTC) examinations across the country.
Key Highlights:
- NABTEB recorded over 100,000 candidates for the 2026 NBC/NTC exams, up from 92,260.
- Registrar Mohammed Aminu said the rise shows growing interest in technical education.
- He urged Nigerians to embrace skills acquisition for self-reliance and job creation.
- NABTEB certificates remain skills-based and internationally recognised.
The Registrar of NABTEB, Mohammed Aminu, disclosed this on Monday, while inspecting the ongoing examinations at the Government Technical College, Kano.
Aminu said the development is an indication that Nigerians were gradually embracing technical and vocational education as a pathway to self-reliance and economic empowerment.
He revealed that enrolment increased from 92,260 candidates recorded in the previous year to over 100,000 candidates in the 2026 examination cycle.
“The number of enrolment is more than what we had last year. Last year, we had 92,260 candidates across the country, but this year we have over 100,000 candidates in different trades,” he said.
The registrar explained that his monitoring visit was aimed at assessing the conduct of the examinations, the level of supervision and ensuring that the exercise was conducted in line with established standards.
“I want to see how the examination is going on, how it is being supervised, the condition of the students in the hall and to ensure that the actual candidates are the ones writing the examination themselves.
“The environment of any examination is also very important,” he added.
Aminu noted that there was a growing awareness of the importance of skills acquisition, stressing that technical education remained vital to the development of any economy.
He said the country was moving away from over dependence on paper qualifications towards a system that prioritises practical skills.
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“The era we are going into is the era of skills. You don’t need to be a professor or doctor before you can earn a living. Once you have a skill, you can become self-reliant, employ others and contribute to the economy,” he stated.
The NABTEB registrar further explained that the board’s examinations were purely skills-based and different from conventional examinations, adding that the certificates were recognised internationally.
He disclosed that Nigerians living outside the country often return home to participate in NABTEB examinations because of the value attached to the certificates.
“During the November/December examination, almost 30 per cent of candidates were people staying outside the country who came back to write the examination because they needed the certificate,” Aminu said.
He also commended the increasing collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders in providing skills training and starter packs for graduates to establish themselves.
According to him, empowering youths with practical skills would boost entrepreneurship, reduce unemployment and contribute to national development.
