A total of 87,668 candidates are currently writing the ongoing 2022 National Business and Technical Examination which commenced on Monday 20th June, 2022 nationwide.
Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examination Board, NABTEB, Prof Ifeoma Isiego Abanihe, disclosed this while monitoring the exercise at Federal Science and Technical College, Orozo and Government Technical College, Garki, all in Abuja.
Abanihe said NABTEB has recorded steady increase in the number of candidates sitting for the exams, adding that the surge began in 2015 when the board first recorded 55,000 candidates for the exam and increased steadily to 83,000 in 2018.
“This year, we have significant increase in the enrolment and we have 88,000 candidates in the past five years. It’s been increased every year.
“Starting from 2018, it was about 55,000 candidates, but this year you can see last year was 83,000 plus so there has been steady increase in enrolment and I think it is because of the realisation that TVET is the way to go.
“In the world today, there is need for skills acquisition there is need for empowerment in skills, self-reliance, and it’s at the bottom of development and that is why there’s more realisation that is a very, very crucial aspect of education,” she said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Director Human Resources at ministry, David Gende, called for an end to the demeaning of NABTEB Certificate.
Adamu said skills acquisition is what the government is promoting hence the need to prepare for skilled work force and take over the Nigerian business and technical workspace.
“People need to stop demeaning this very certificate, so that people can pick up the skills that are required. we need to stop those who are taking over our space you know if those space were available, the young ones who cannot continue after this level, at least have some skills to carry on and take over the space.”