By Opeyemi Adelakun
The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has recorded a sharp decline in enrolment for its 2026 National Common Entrance Examination into Technical Colleges, with registrations dropping by 47.74 per cent compared to the previous year.
Despite the fall in enrolment, the board said the overall performance of candidates remained encouraging, with more than three-quarters of those who sat for the examination scoring at least 50 per cent.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr Aminu Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday while announcing the results of the nationwide examination conducted on June 13.
According to him, 15,290 candidates registered for the 2026 examination, representing a decline of 13,970 candidates from the 29,260 who registered in 2025.
He said the reduction translates to a 47.74 per cent drop in enrolment year-on-year.
Mohammed explained that although registration declined significantly, 13,848 candidates, representing 90.57 per cent of those who registered, sat for the examination, while 1,442 candidates were absent.
Giving a breakdown of the results, he said 10,426 candidates, representing 75.29 per cent of those who wrote the examination, scored 50 per cent and above.
He added that 5,708 candidates, representing 41.22 per cent, obtained scores of 70 per cent and above.
According to him, 3,422 candidates, or 24.71 per cent, scored below the 50 per cent benchmark, while 31 candidates, representing 0.22 per cent, emerged as the top performers with scores of 96 per cent and above.
Mohammed said candidates registered for 28 different trades grouped under five major clusters comprising Mechanical Technology, Electrical Technology, Construction Technology, Creative and Culinary Technology, and Agricultural Technology.
He disclosed that Electrical Installation and Maintenance Practice attracted the highest number of candidates with 3,870 registrations.
Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs/Maintenance followed with 2,857 candidates.
Other programmes with high enrolment included Catering Craft Practice with 1,780 candidates, Bricklaying, Blocklaying and Concreting with 1,553 candidates, Automobile Mechanics with 1,156 candidates, and Fashion Design and Garment Making with 940 candidates.
At the lower end of the enrolment table, Tiling and Cladding recorded only one candidate, while Social Media Content Creation and Management attracted two candidates.
Fish Farming Activities had three candidates, Motorcycle and Tricycle Repairs recorded five candidates, Creative Media attracted six candidates, Automobile Compressed Natural Gas Conversion had nine candidates, while Leather Works recorded 18 candidates.
The NABTEB registrar also announced that registration for the supplementary National Common Entrance Examination would begin before the end of July to provide another opportunity for prospective students seeking admission into technical colleges.
He urged candidates and stakeholders to take advantage of the exercise to encourage greater participation in technical and vocational education.
Mohammed reaffirmed the board’s commitment to promoting skills acquisition and competency-based education through credible technical and vocational examinations designed to prepare young Nigerians for employment and entrepreneurship.
NABTEB, established to promote technical and vocational education in Nigeria, conducts examinations leading to the award of National Technical Certificates, National Business Certificates and other recognised technical qualifications.
The board recalled that during the 2025 June/July National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate examinations, it registered 92,875 candidates across 1,892 examination centres nationwide, with 89,621 results successfully processed, representing 96.5 per cent of total enrolment.
It also recorded a 37.08 per cent increase in candidate enrolment and a 10.77 per cent rise in examination centres compared to 2024.
According to the board, Mathematics performance improved in 2025, with 81,172 candidates obtaining pass grades, representing a 94.6 per cent success rate, up from 91.39 per cent in the previous year.
NABTEB further reported a slight reduction in examination malpractice, recording 516 cases involving 435 candidates in 2025, compared to 524 cases involving 349 candidates in 2024, attributing the improvement to enhanced monitoring and stricter examination integrity measures.
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