…Enugu records highest enrolment, Zamfara lowest despite Federal Government incentives
A total of 15,281 candidates sat for the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal and State Technical Colleges across Nigeria, according to the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
The figure represents a significant decline from the 29,260 candidates who registered for the examination in 2025, raising concerns about enrolment levels in the country’s technical and vocational education system despite ongoing government efforts to promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, attributed the drop in registration to the merger of examination subjects and the need to align admissions with the carrying capacity of technical colleges nationwide.
Speaking while monitoring the conduct of the examination in Uromi, Edo State, Mohammed disclosed that Enugu State recorded the highest number of candidates, with 1,506 registrations, while Zamfara State had the lowest enrolment with only 14 candidates.
According to him, of the 15,281 candidates who registered for the examination, 10,626 were male and 4,655 were female.
The examination was conducted simultaneously in 203 centres across the country.
The low turnout comes despite efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make technical and vocational education more attractive to young Nigerians.
As part of the Federal Government’s TVET reform programme, students enrolled in technical colleges are entitled to a range of incentives, including:
- Free tuition
- Monthly stipends of N22,500
- Start-up support packages after graduation
The initiative is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical skills, promote entrepreneurship and reduce unemployment.
Mohammed said the examination was conducted smoothly across most centres, with early reports indicating orderly conduct by candidates and professionalism among examination officials.
He commended parents, school administrators, invigilators, supervisors and security personnel for contributing to the successful conduct of the exercise. “Preliminary reports from our monitoring officers indicate that the examination commenced smoothly in most centres, with candidates conducting themselves in an orderly manner and examination officials discharging their responsibilities professionally,” he said.
The NABTEB registrar added that results of the examination would be released within 21 days.
Mohammed described the NCEE as part of the Federal Government’s broader commitment to strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a pathway to youth empowerment, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and national development.
He noted that the government remains focused on repositioning technical colleges to produce the skilled workforce required to drive industrial growth and economic self-reliance.
While the decline in candidate numbers may raise questions about awareness and participation, education stakeholders believe that sustained investment, improved facilities and effective implementation of incentive programmes could help reverse the trend in future admission cycles.
