The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has released the eagerly awaited results of the 2024 In-School National Business Certificate (NBC) and National Technical Certificate (NTC) examinations.
Out of 67,751 candidates who sat the exams, an impressive 44,000 secured five credits and above, including Mathematics and the English Language.
This achievement represents a remarkable 65.35 percent of the total candidates.
Dr. Nnasia Ndareke Asanga, NABTEB’s acting Registrar, emphasized the success further, stating that a total of 62,235 candidates, or 92.42 percent, obtained five credits and above, with or without English Language and Mathematics.
The examinations were conducted across 1,708 centres nationwide, showcasing the widespread reach of the assessment.
However, Dr. Asanga also shed light on the challenges facing technical education in Nigeria. He pointed to the perception of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes by industries, enterprises, and communities as a significant hurdle, along with a lack of funding and support.
He stressed the urgent need for “appropriate legislation, capacity building for technical education teachers, adequate funding, and the establishment of more technical colleges to enhance TVET and other technical education programmes.”
Dr. Asanga highlighted the potential of TVET to bridge the gap between education and unemployment, particularly in today’s innovation-driven economy, stating, “TVET has the potential to provide the needed nexus between education and unemployment which is the destination in today’s innovation-driven economy.”
Despite the positive results, he noted a decline in performance compared to the previous year, alongside concerning reports of examination malpractice involving 349 candidates.
Dr. Asanga expressed his worries about the implications of malpractice, stating, “It undermines the trust of educators and policymakers and deprives students of the opportunity to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and lifelong learning skills.”
Concluding his remarks, he reaffirmed NABTEB’s commitment, saying, “NABTEB has a mandate to conduct examinations and perform skill-based assessments, leading to the award of Business, Vocational and Technical Certificates at both the Ordinary and Advanced levels.”