The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has announced a sharp decline in enrolment for its 2026 National Common Entrance Examination into Technical Colleges, with the number of registered candidates dropping by 47.74 per cent compared to the previous year.
Despite the significant fall in registration, the board said more than three-quarters of candidates who sat for the examination attained the minimum pass mark.
Aminu Mohammed, the registrar and chief executive officer of NABTEB, disclosed this on Tuesday while announcing the results of the examination conducted nationwide on June 13.
According to him, only 15,290 candidates registered for the 2026 examination, compared to 29,260 candidates recorded in 2025, representing a decline of 13,970 candidates.
He explained that 13,848 candidates eventually sat for the examination, accounting for 90.57 per cent of total registration, while 1,442 candidates were absent.
Speaking on the candidates’ performance, Mohammed 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, equivalent to 41.22 per cent, obtained scores of 70 per cent and above.
According to the registrar, 3,422 candidates, representing 24.71 per cent, scored below the 50 per cent benchmark, while 31 candidates, representing 0.22 per cent, emerged as the highest performers with scores of 96 per cent and above.
Mohammed said candidates registered for 28 vocational and technical trades grouped under five broad clusters comprising Mechanical Technology, Electrical Technology, Construction Technology, Creative and Culinary Technology, and Agricultural Technology.
He disclosed that Electrical Installation and Maintenance Practice recorded the highest enrolment with 3,870 candidates.
Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs and Maintenance followed with 2,857 candidates, while Catering Craft Practice attracted 1,780 candidates.
Bricklaying, Blocklaying and Concreting recorded 1,553 candidates, Automobile Mechanics had 1,156 candidates, while Fashion Design and Garment Making attracted 940 candidates.
At the lower end of the enrolment scale, Tiling and Cladding recorded only one candidate, while Social Media Content Creation and Management had two candidates.
Fish Farming Activities attracted three candidates, Motorcycle and Tricycle Repairs recorded five candidates, Creative Media had six candidates, Automobile Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion registered nine candidates, while Leather Works attracted 18 candidates.
The NABTEB registrar also announced that registration for the supplementary National Common Entrance Examination would commence before the end of July to provide another opportunity for prospective students seeking admission into technical colleges.
He reiterated the board’s commitment to promoting technical and vocational education by conducting examinations that equip learners with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
Mohammed noted that NABTEB remains responsible for administering technical and vocational examinations across Nigeria, including the National Common Entrance Examination into Technical Colleges and examinations leading to the award of National Business Certificates and National Technical Certificates.
He recalled that during the 2025 June/July National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate examinations, the board registered 92,875 candidates across 1,892 examination centres nationwide.
Out of the total enrolment, 89,621 results were successfully processed and graded, representing 96.5 per cent of registered candidates.
He added that candidate enrolment for the 2025 examinations increased by 37.08 per cent compared to 2024, while the number of examination centres also rose by 10.77 per cent.
The registrar further noted that examination malpractice declined during the period, with 516 cases involving 435 candidates recorded in 2025, compared to 524 cases involving 349 candidates in 2024, attributing the improvement to strengthened monitoring and examination integrity measures.
