More than 100,000 candidates have registered for the 2026 National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate examinations nationwide.

Mohammed Aminu-Muhammed, the registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, said this on Monday while monitoring the ongoing 2026 examinations at Government Technical College, Kano. He said the rising enrollment reflected growing acceptance of technical and vocational education among Nigerians.

Mr Aminu said the board recorded 92,260 candidates nationwide in 2025, while over 100,000 candidates registered for the 2026 examinations across different trades.

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

According to Mr Aminu-Muhammed, more parents now prefer to enrol their children in technical schools due to growing awareness of the benefits of skills acquisition and government support for the sector.

He identified increased enrollment, growing parental interest and stronger collaboration among government agencies, private organisations and individuals as indicators of progress in technical education.

Mr Aminu-Muhammed commended the government’s efforts to promote TVET, adding that the sector was receiving greater attention.

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

Mr Aminu-Muhammed highlighted that skills acquisition was critical to economic growth and self-reliance.

“There is no shortcut to the development of any economy. People do not necessarily have to become professors, doctors or journalists before they can earn a living. What is important is acquiring relevant skills that can make one self-reliant, employable or even an employer of labour,” he said.

During the monitoring exercise, the registrar said it aimed to assess the conduct of the examinations, supervision processes, candidates’ identity verification, and the overall examination environment.

“We want to see how the examination is being conducted, how it is supervised, the condition of students in the examination hall and whether the actual candidates are the ones writing the examinations,” Mr Aminu-Muhammed said.

Mr Aminu-Muhammed expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examinations at the centre, adding that 375 candidates were expected to sit for one of the papers on Tuesday.

The registrar also advocated providing starter packs to graduates of technical programmes to help them establish businesses and create jobs.

“NABTEB examinations differ from other national examinations because they focus primarily on practical and technical skills,” Mr Aminu-Muhammed stated. “NABTEB certificates are internationally recognised, with many Nigerians residing abroad returning home annually to sit for the examinations.”

(NAN)