The Chief Executive Officer of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr Muhammed Aminu Muhammed, has declared that technical education remains Nigeria’s strongest pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and national economic growth.
Speaking during an inspection of the 2026 May/June NABTEB examinations at the Federal Technical College, Awka, Anambra State capital, Muhammed said the future of Nigeria depends on equipping young people with practical skills that will enable them to create jobs.
His visit to the Awka centre is part of a nationwide monitoring exercise covering examination centres across Nigeria.
He said, “Technical education remains the Nigeria’s strongest pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and national economic growth.
“The future of Nigeria depends on equipping young people with practical skills that will enable them to create jobs rather than wait endlessly for white-collar jobs.
“Effective leadership within a school naturally reflects in students’ performance and the quality of teaching and learning.”
Muhammed disclosed that more than 167,000 candidates are sitting for this year’s examinations nationwide, while 226 candidates are taking their papers at the Federal Technical College, Awka.
During the exercise, the NABTEB Registrar inspected the Physics practical examination, monitored the organisation of candidates, interacted with officials supervising the exercise and assessed the overall conduct of the examination.
He expressed satisfaction with what he witnessed at the Awka centre, describing it as one of the most organised technical colleges visited during his nationwide assessment tour.
He commended the way the practical examination was organised, noting that candidates were carefully grouped to ensure the exercise ran smoothly despite the large number of students involved.
Reflecting on the nationwide exercise, Muhammed said this year’s examinations have shown remarkable improvement over those conducted in 2025.
He attributed the progress to stronger supervision by school principals, better coordination by NABTEB officials and increased support from security agencies working to safeguard the examination process.
“In every area, this year’s examination is better than last year’s,” he added.
The Registrar stressed that the practical component of NABTEB examinations remains central to the Board’s mission of producing graduates with employable skills that can transform their lives and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
He maintained that expanding technical education is essential if Nigeria hopes to reduce unemployment, empower young people and build a more productive economy.
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