The Federal Government has announced a major jump in enrollment for technical and vocational education, with a 287.76% increase in candidates registering for entrance exams into technical colleges in 2025.
The Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, revealed the figures in Benin City while releasing the results of the 2025 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs).
According to him, the number of candidates rose sharply from 7,546 in 2024 to 29,260 in 2025. He credited this increase to the Federal Ministry of Education’s new focus on vocational training under the leadership of Education Minister Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa.
“This jump is the result of aggressive reforms and public awareness efforts by the Ministry to promote technical education as a tool for national development,” Dr. Mohammed said.
Of the 29,260 candidates who registered, 24,074 actually sat for the exam held across 32 Federal and 171 State Technical Colleges nationwide on June 14, 2025. About 5,186 students were absent.
A gender breakdown showed that 67.32% of those who took the exam were male (16,206), while 32.68% were female (7,868), showing a slight improvement in female participation compared to the previous year.
Candidates enrolled in vocational areas such as engineering trades, construction, business, and other skills-related programmes. Dr. Mohammed said the move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at building a self-sufficient, industrialised Nigeria.
The exam results show that 9,389 students (39%) scored 50% and above, while only 316 candidates (1.31%) scored higher than 70%. A total of eight candidates (0.03%) achieved top scores.
Despite the positive developments, Dr. Mohammed highlighted ongoing challenges such as a shortage of trained vocational teachers, poor facilities, low awareness in rural areas, and societal bias against vocational careers.
He urged continued investment and support for TVET programs, saying,
“If we must become one of the top 20 industrialised nations, we must close the technical education gap and equip our youth with the right skills.”
The Minister praised both Dr. Alausa and Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suaiba Said Ahmad, for their efforts in reshaping Nigeria’s education system.