The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has said the Federal Government’s renewed emphasis on technical education will create jobs, generate wealth, and accelerate Nigeria’s industrialization.
NABTEB Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mohammed Mohammed, made the assertion on Wednesday while monitoring the ongoing 2026 May/June National Business Certificate (NBC) and National Technical Certificate (NTC) in-school examinations at the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Awka.
Mohammed said technical education equips students with practical skills that enable them to become self-reliant immediately after graduation, reducing unemployment and dependence on white-collar jobs.
“Where Nigeria is heading in terms of practical education is encouraging because students must leave technical schools with employable skills,” he said.
“Once you graduate from a technical school, you become self-reliant. Technical education is the way to go because graduates will not end up roaming the streets looking for jobs. They will be able to start something on their own with the skills they have acquired.”
He noted that graduates are trained in vocational fields such as automotive technology, woodworking, basic electricity, and electrical and electronic engineering.
According to him, Nigeria must deliberately encourage more young people to pursue technical education to drive economic growth and industrial development.
“You will be self-reliant and create jobs and wealth not only for yourself but also for others,” he added.
Mohammed warned that Nigeria was lagging behind many developing countries in harnessing local content for national development, stressing the need to close the gap through greater investment in technical and vocational education.
He also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing examinations nationwide, disclosing that 226 students registered for the exams at FSTC, Awka, while about 167,000 candidates are participating across the country.
SOURCE: NAN
