The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has successfully conducted its first computer-based National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) into federal and state technical colleges, marking a significant step in the board’s digital transformation.
Speaking during the 2026 selection and placement exercise for qualified candidates into federal and state technical colleges in Abuja, NABTEB Registrar, Dr Mohammed Mohammed, said the computer-based examination results were processed and released within 72 hours, while the conventional paper-based examination results were released within 21 days using the newly developed NABTEB Aptitude Placement Test (NAPAT).
He described the achievement as evidence of the board’s commitment to delivering credible, efficient and transparent examination services through technology.
According to Mohammed, 15,290 candidates registered for the June 13, 2026 National Common Entrance Examination, while 13,848 candidates eventually sat the examination across 34 federal technical colleges and 168 state technical colleges in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The results showed that 10,426 candidates (75.29%) scored 50 per cent and above, while 5,708 candidates (41.22%) achieved scores of 70 per cent and above, providing what he described as a strong foundation for the ongoing admission and placement exercise.
Mohammed urged members of the selection committee to conduct the admission process with fairness, transparency and integrity, stressing that qualified candidates should be admitted strictly on merit, available vacancies, trade preferences, catchment considerations and other approved Federal Government guidelines.
He also called for stronger advocacy to increase enrolment in technical colleges, noting that such institutions should no longer be viewed as schools of second choice. According to him, technical colleges play a vital role in producing the skilled workforce needed for Nigeria’s industrialisation, economic diversification and technological advancement.
The registrar added that NABTEB would continue supporting the Federal Ministry of Education by strengthening assessment systems, expanding digital technology deployment, improving quality assurance and enhancing collaboration with stakeholders to promote technical and vocational education.
Representing the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the ministry’s Director of Technology and Science Education, Patricia Ogungbemi, said the Federal Government had ordered a nationwide validation of enrolment figures and an assessment of workshop facilities in all federal technical colleges.
She said the exercise would provide accurate data for the immediate distribution of workshop tools, while plans to rehabilitate workshops and provide modern equipment were already underway. Ogungbemi also disclosed that tuition and other charges in federal technical colleges had been reviewed to make technical education more affordable.
She urged stakeholders to ensure the admission process remains transparent, fair and professional so that only qualified candidates are admitted.
Also speaking, Akintunde Samuel, representing the Chairperson of the Federal Science and Technical College Admission and Placement Committee (FETCAP), Adramola Benson, described the exercise as an important step towards strengthening technical and vocational education in Nigeria. He called on committee members to strictly follow approved admission guidelines throughout the placement process.
