No fewer than 88,000 candidates sat for the 2022 examinations of the National Business and Technical Examination Board.
This is as the minister of education, Adamu Adamu warned against the devaluation of certificates issued by NABTEB.
The minister noted this on Thursday during the 2022 monitoring of NABTEB examinations at the Federal Science and Technical College, Orozo, Abuja.
Adamu who was represented by the director of Human Resources in the ministry, David Gende, further explained that those who could not fit into the country’s formal sector would have the opportunity to get involved in the informal sector, which underscored the reason for setting up the examination board.
“I think we need to correct this impression, skills acquisition is what we are promoting in this regard and there is no rule that says everyone must go to the university.
“You know, if we look across the globe, there are people who have achieved greatness without seeing a university.
“So, we should stop demeaning this very certificate so that people can pick up the skills that are required,” he said.
On his observation during the monitoring, the minister expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the students, saying that there was no record of any students involved in malpractices.
Adamu, therefore, said that the ministry would continue to promote the culture of excellence to have great leaders that would sail the country in the near future.
On her part, the head, NABTEB, Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihe, said the board had experienced an increase in enrollment of Technical and Vocational Education and Training candidates since 2018.
Isiugo-Abanihe said that the increase was as a result of interest in technical education among the youths, adding that, “The board received 83,000 candidates in 2021 and 88,000 in 2022. It’s been increasing every year. If you check from 2018, it was about 55,000 candidates.
“There has been steady increase in enrollment and I think it is because of the realisation that TVET is the way to go. This is because in the world today, there is need for skills as well as empowerment in skills and self-reliance and it is at the bottom of development.
The PUNCH reports that NABTEB is a Nigerian examination board responsible for conducting examinations for technical and business innovation colleges in Nigeria.
The Board was established under Decree No. 70 (now Act 70) of the 1993 constitution. The Decree (Act) mandated NABTEB with the responsibility to conduct Technical and Business Innovation certificate examinations hitherto being conducted by the West African Examinations Council.
